


Eight-Sided Shape

by prettiugli



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: AU, Drama & Romance, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Prideshipping, Smut, Threesome - M/M/M, dark themes, stoicshipping, stoneshipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-01-04 23:20:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 373,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12178485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettiugli/pseuds/prettiugli
Summary: Seto Kaiba, browsing the dark web while drunk off his ass, accidentally buys himself a sex slave. Spoiler: It's a human named Yami.●●●[AU, Prideshipping, Rated M for heavy smut & very dark themes. COMPLETED]





	1. The day I became

Seto gripped his wine glass tightly, standing against the wall of a crowded ballroom, glaring distastefully at the glittering circles of people in front of him. Row after endless row of food sat in steaming silver pans on a high table, covered with an elegant white cloth. Sharply-dressed hotel staff stood behind the tables, spooning out carefully measured portions for the guests as they drifted by.

A woman floated past him, smiling demurely and nodding, her thin diamond earrings glittering at him. Seto ducked his head down politely, feeling irritated. His presence at this event was mandatory, due to a recent marketing contract he had signed, so he did this to himself.

Did he need the contact? No, but it was nice to have, so here he was, rubbing elbows with the so-called _"elite"_ of his opposing companies and their competitors.

The atmosphere was polite, but tense. It was clear that everyone was trying to put up a cordial front, undoubtedly having shouted at each other from across a meeting room table at one point or another.  
He definitely saw a few familiar faces in the crowd; a few of his long-time competitors had nodded at him multiple times as they passed by, clearly intimidated by his presence.

Seto smirked and sipped his wine, his hand casually tucked into the pocket of his white trousers, which complimented his dark red dress shirt, paired intentionally with his silk white blazer. He leaned back against the wall, sighing heavily, extremely bored.

"Mr. Kaiba, you look rather nice tonight. White is a color that suits you." Said a fat man with a thinning bald spot, dressed in a slick black suit, approaching him on his left.

Seto nodded politely at the man, privately agreeing with him, "Thank you."

"If you don't mind me prying..." The man began and Seto felt his eyelid twitch.

 _If you start with a sentence like that, you're definitely trying to pry,_ Seto thought darkly, but he smiled and nodded politely again, responding with, "I don't mind."  
A lie, clearly. Was being left alone tonight too much to ask for?

"Well, I'm glad..to hear that." The man stammered, "I'm asking on behalf of my beautiful daughter, she's standing right over there."

The man pointed a sausage-like finger over to a lovely dark-haired woman, dressed in a stunning white evening gown, surrounded by several suitors. Her black hair hung down off her shoulders in tight curls and Seto watched her laugh casually when a young man to her left attempted to kiss her hand.

 _Oh, one of those._ Seto thought, horrified, but he nodded again, knowing full well where this was going.

"Isn't she lovely?" The man sweated slightly, smiling nervously at him, and Seto forced a smile in return.

"She sure is." Seto responded, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"I'm glad you think so!" The fat man gasped, "Well, she wishes to...perhaps, meet with you ...on...any day! For coffee, tea, dinner, ...lunch! You name it. Whenever you're free." The man said, sounding slightly breathless.

"I'll think about it." Seto replied, smiling politely. If he remembered correctly, this man was an angel investor, responsible for the rise and downfall of various indie start-ups.

 _So, he has money, big deal._ Seto thought sourly, sipping his wine lightly. It was starting to get too warm in the room, and the man was standing too close, watching his every move.

"Y-you'll consider it?" The man said brightening up considerably, "You're a fine young man, you know!" He smiled nervously and bobbed away into the crowd, undoubtedly rushing to find his daughter to report the good news.

"You know, I met Cecilia at one of these parties..." A familiar voice drifted languidly from his right. "You should really give these girls a chance...Kaiba-boy."

 _Pegasus..!_ Seto gripped his wine glass even tighter and forced himself not to react.

"You consider this a party, Pegasus?" Seto sipped his wine aggressively, not making eye contact. He wasn't getting drunk fast enough, and the night was quickly spiraling downwards.

"It's a party ...of sorts." Pegasus replied simply, holding a similar glass of wine and smiling playfully at him. "If you keep scaring people away, you'll end up alone...like me. I don't think you want that, do you?"

Seto swallowed tightly, trying to keep his temper under control. He had already resigned himself to ending up alone; work was all he had, next to Mokuba, no one else mattered enough for him to care.

"I'm not interested in their cash cows," Seto responded spitefully. He knew he was being rude as hell, but he stood by this sentiment firmly. These women attached to their fathers were only in it to make their families richer and more powerful.

"Ouch, don't ever let them hear you say that." Pegasus replied, smirking and sipping his wine casually as he sang mockingly, "Here comes another one..!"

A thin, greying man was making nervous eye contact with Seto as he spoke with the excited, fat balding man.

Seto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was getting out of here. Pegasus was being an annoying asshole as usual, and he could feel the room getting hotter and stuffier by the second.

"I'm leaving." Seto said shortly, addressing Pegasus indirectly.

"You can't escape this Kaiba-boy. The future success of your company may depend on it, if you want to keep it...in the family...if you get my drift." Pegasus raised his glass in a gleeful toast and Seto glared back at him.

"Thanks for the unsolicited advice, as usual." Seto said, clenching his fist at his side as he moved towards the exit.  
"Excuse me." He said roughly, accidentally bumping shoulders with another short, stoutly businessman.

"No problem, Mr. Kaiba." The man nodded, "My daughter sends her regards, she's right over-"

"Oopies!" A shrill voice cried out and Seto felt an ice cold liquid splash across his face and chest, a few drops finding their way down the collar of his shirt.

 _This is not happening!_ Seto screamed internally as he stood very still, staring at a slender brunette wearing a glittering red strapless dress, who had intentionally tripped in front of him.

"Oh gosh, I'm _so_ sorry! Daddy, please go get a napkin quick! He's wearing white! Oh no!" She cried dramatically, pressing her hand to her brow, pouting her extremely red lips at him.

Seto said nothing. He couldn't feel anything other than the wine spreading slowly down along his silk blazer, aware that everyone in the ballroom had turned to stare at them.

This bitch...is so...shitty! Seto tightened his grip around his wine glass, briefly considering splashing _his_ wine into her pouty face, just to see how she would like it.

His jacket was ruined, along with any chances of him having a peaceful night.

The stoutly man had returned with a long, white cloth. He quickly pressed it into his daughter's hands, "Here sweetie, dab, don't rub. Looks like he's wearing silk." The man bobbed his head apologetically, "She's a klutz, aren't you dear."

"Yes, yes I am! Daddy, you're so mean!" The girl gasped, "You must be Seto Kaiba, I've heard so much about you...I'm so sorry! I'm so embarrassed..!" The girl reached out to dab the dark red wine stains on his lapel. Everyone stopped staring and returned to socializing in their circles.

 _They planned this..!_ Seto realized, his anger rising quickly. He _really_ needed to get out of here, now if only this bitch would get off of him.

He grabbed her wrist and slowly pushed her arm away from his chest, "Thank you," Seto enunciated, glaring at her, "I will be leaving to take care of this myself."

"Go with him sweetie," the man encouraged, "A fine young man like Mr. Kaiba should never been seen alone..!"

Seto bit the inside of his cheek, attempting to restrain himself from shouting at the man.

"Yes, Daddy, I'll do that!" The girl gasped, hooking her slender arm through his elbow. "I know just where the bathroom is!" And she half-dragged him through the ballroom, earning many dirty looks from surrounding groups of women who paused to stare as at them as they passed by.

Seto felt his feet sliding across the carpet as she yanked him forwards forcefully, staring intently at the glittering clip in her hair, ignoring the dirty looks, estimating it probably cost about the price of a small car, given how enormous the diamonds were.

They exited the ballroom and stepped into the empty hallway. She dragged him over to the elevator and stabbed the up-arrow button with a long, diamond-encrusted nail.

"I'm so sorry..!" she cried, sounding not one bit sorry at all, "I hope you're not angry..!"

 _I am not going anywhere with this bitch!_ Seto thought furiously, untangling himself from the girl, "I'm not angry," he said, livid. "I'll be-"

"Come in here with me!" she squealed as the elevator doors opened and she yanked him inside, almost tripping on her own heels. "Let's take that off, it must be getting so uncomfortable with it being all wet and everything..!"

Seto felt a lump rise up in his throat. This girl was trying to strip him...in a hotel elevator?! This situation was getting worse by the second.

"No," Seto said roughly, backing away from her and quickly hitting the "P" button on the elevator panel. He needed to get the hell out.

"Oh, please, let me." The girl begged, her fingers skillfully undoing the silk knot around his neck and Seto grabbed the tie from her forcefully, realizing the elevator was still going up.

She grabbed the other end and tugged playfully, "You wanna play tug-a-war?"

 _No! Get off me!_ Seto screamed in his head, his stomach churned and twisted with an unpleasant combination of nausea and anger.

"Stop." Seto said firmly, placing a hand over hers and trying to pry her iron-like grip from off his tie.

 _Actually, I could just leave the tie here,_ Seto thought viciously, _I don't give a shit anymore._

The elevator doors opened slowly and she made a move to pull him out, but Kaiba stood his ground, wrenching her off and giving her a vicious shove just as she let go of his tie.

"Come with me-...ahh!" She shrieked as she teetered backwards on her monstrous heels, landing flat on her ass, right by the elevator door, with her legs spread, her dress hiked up around her hips, giving Seto a full view of her red panties. They even had little tiny red bows siting at the edges.

She turned a deep shade of red, almost matching her dress perfectly, "Like what you see?" she asked boldly, looking haughtily up at him from the floor.

Disgusted, Seto stepped back into the elevator just as the doors slid shut behind him.

"No, please! Come back! I'm so embarrassed!" She screamed, sticking her stiletto in through the tiny crack of the door, causing the panels to slide open again. Cursing, Seto shoved his foot forwards, kicking her the base of her sharp heels back out, and letting the elevator doors close fully once more.

He could still hear her shrill cries echoing down the elevator shaft as he traveled lower and lower. "I like you..!" her voice echoed down at him from above.

 _And I don't care..!_ Seto responded furiously in his head as the elevator reached the parking level, _I'm so done._

He strode out through the doors, sliding his blazer off furiously, nodding at the valet who stood up very straight and then bowed deeply before rushing off the fetch his car.

He stood under the dark green awning, watching as his car's headlights flashed back at him headlights from the distance, Pegasus's words echoing unpleasantly in his head.

_"...If you want to keep it...in the family...if you get my drift."_

Was he actually suggesting he have _children_ with these kinds of women?! Seto shuddered at the thought as his car pulled around in front of him.

"Your vehicle Mr. Kaiba." The valet said, bobbing his head politely. Seto reached into his wallet, slipped out a crisp bill and handed it to the valet who accepted it with both hands, shaking nervously.

He tucked himself into the driver's seat gracefully and sped off into the night.

Seto gripped the wheel tightly as he floored the engine, feeling his anger rise along with the deafening roar of the throttle. He hated these events with a burning passion because they always ended up reminding him that he was alone by choice.

This was why he preferred one-night-stands with strangers in foreign countries who had no idea who he was. First, there was the language barrier, and second, there were no unforeseen consequences-just heartless sex.

 _With these women here in Japan..._ Kaiba thought shrewdly as he pulled his car smoothly around the freeway exit. They always wanted something in return because they had obligations to their own families, who always had something to benefit from his company. It was never the other way around. And when the women reciprocated...

Seto flinched as he briefly recalled going as far as taking one woman on a business trip with him, which ended in disaster because he had refused her on a night when he was feeling extremely exhausted.

He parked the car into his garage quickly alongside his collection of expensive luxury cars, hastily locking the doors as he hurried up the steps into his mansion.

Isono was nowhere to be seen and Mokuba was already probably asleep.

Seto stormed up the grand staircase and locked himself in his room, slipping off his shirt and stepping out of his trousers, carefully hanging them on the rack to be taken out and dry cleaned.

Walking quietly over to his closet, Seto pulled on a set of lounge wear with his logo stitched in the upper right pocket and strode over to the mini bar flanking the wall beside his large, steel desk. He poured himself a heavy glass of whiskey and downed it two gulps, desperate to feel nothing.

 _When you attend garbage events, they serve garbage alcohol_ , Seto thought viciously, pouring himself another glass and tossing it back carelessly. The liquid burned his throat and made his eyes sting. He felt the liquor pooling in his stomach as a slow numbness began spreading throughout his body.

 _Finally,_ Seto thought brutally, taking the bottle with him to his desk and setting it down heavily on the surface. He flipped his laptop open and sat down, the words blurring across his vision slightly.

Seto suddenly noticed a stack of leather files on the corner of his desk. Had that been there the whole time?  
What the hell is this...? Seto growled to himself, reaching over and picking the top one off the stack. It was oddly heavy.

Seto flipped it open and the first thing he saw was the glamour shot of a beautiful blonde woman with a dazzling smile. Seto froze. He knew what this was. The question now was, did he want to turn the page?

Yes, why the hell not. His night was already shitty, why not ruin it some more with potential arranged matches. Seto slid a slender finger down the side of the laminated sheet, dreading what he would see next.

To his relief, it was just a page of text, detailing her name, age, eye color, and even her weight. At the very bottom was a list her connections, and Seto read through an impressive row of big-name companies.

The paragraph in the middle was something she had written, detailing her talents and passions in life.

 _Great_ , Seto thought sarcastically, _"I aspire to create my own jewelry line."_ Please _, be more original, I'm so dazzled by your aspirations. Next._

He shut the file and tossed it aside, reaching for the next one in the stack. To his horror, the smiling image of the girl from the elevator beamed back up at him.

 _Wow, this photo is heavily edited_ , Seto thought ruefully, recalling her ugly pouting face. He flipped to the next page with force, searching for her name.  
It was Annabelle.

 _Gross, vain, disgusting bitch._ Seto thought, pushing the file further away from him. _  
_

There was a soft knock at his door and Isono stepped into the room.

"Mr. Kaiba! Wasn't expecting you back until..morning!" He coughed politely into his handkerchief.

"What are these?" Seto asked rudely, throwing the leather file across his desk, watching it slide off the end and clatter onto the floor, face-down.

"Ah..those..!" Isono was visibly distressed, "They...came in for you, while you were out today. I meant for you to find those in the morning."

"Well, I hate them." Seto responded spitefully. "That file right there? That woman, did _that._ "  
He pointed angrily at his stained blazer hanging on the coat-stand by the door.

Isono stared at the ruined blazer and ducked his head down apologetically, "Master Kaiba, these women are all actively interested in you. If you so much as blink an eye towards them, they will be happy. Mr. Pegasus has suggested-"

"Pegasus?" Seto asked roughly, standing up so quickly he almost spilled his drink. "Let me guess, this is about _"keeping it in the family"_... isn't it."

Isono looked extremely guilty as he shuffled in his stance, "If you were to produce an heir...it would relieve some pressure on young Mokuba. The future of Kaiba Corporation would be secure...thousands of jobs...depend on you."

Seto clenched his fist as he swayed slightly on the spot. This was ridiculous. He didn't need a fucking family to keep his company relevant.

"Leave." Seto said numbly, staring coldly at Isono.

Isono bowed and exited the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Seto sat down angrily in front of his computer, the words blurring across the screen heavier than ever before. He threw back the rest of his drink hastily and poured himself another glass.

He knew he should be counting but he was too angry to care.

Seto stared back at the screen, clicking around aimlessly on the web, not really seeing anything he was looking at. How did he want to end the night? He could beat off to some really disgusting porn and forget all about it in the morning while he suffered from the world's largest hangover.

 _Yeah that's a good idea_ , Seto thought angrily, sipping the whiskey as his cursor hovered in the search bar above the browser.

Wait, he had an even better idea. He glared at the stack of marriage proposals on his desk and back at his screen.

Were mail-order wives a real thing? Of course it fucking is! Seto laughed at himself, delirious and drunk off his ass. He masked his I.P address and the screen went blank for several moments as his computer rebooted and a separate browser popped up.

There we go, Seto thought gleefully, what do people call this browser these days? _The Dark Web?_ Seto laughed again, this time actually spilling his drink slightly over the back of his hand.

 _Ah shit, fuck it,_ Seto shook the liquid off his hand and started clicking down a list of nondescript links.

He arrived at a website displaying various crisp images of flashy firearms, explosives, and military grade weapons. His eyes widened as he scrolled down, entertained.

He clicked away and arrived on a blank page with an empty bar, requesting a password. _Nope,_ Seto thought and he clicked away again.

He aimlessly let his browser scroll all the way down to the bottom, and he felt his head grow heavy as everything just kept refreshing. The screen was becoming extremely difficult to read and Seto figured he should just head off to bed, just before his cursor landed on a link in a strange language.

Seto clicked on it lazily and was brought to a page with a nasty green colored background with blazing orange text messily pasted all over the place.

 _Wow, what language is this?! The characters looked so strange. Whoever scripted this page obviously doesn't know what they're doing,_ Seto thought arrogantly, his cursor brushing across a link buried in the mess. He clicked on it, delving deeper into the page.

Suddenly, the green background and orange text disappeared, replaced by tiny thumbnails of bare shoulders, bare chests, hands, feet, crops of hair, and faces.

Seto froze.  
What was this..? Organ theft?  
He kept scrolling for a bit and realized with a trickling horror that this was human trafficking in its purest form.

The thumbnails detailed what you would be paying for, feature by feature. Girls and boys with lighter colored hair were worth more, whereas people with darker tones were worth considerably less.

He swallowed nervously, scrolling down slowly. He could read a few words in English, mostly simple words like "pretty" and "young". There was a large red button with the strange text written across it, sitting underneath each set of photos, and Kaiba assumed that was the "buy" button.

He leaned back in his seat, feeling slightly nauseated. Either the pictures, or the alcohol, was making him feel this way. Seto continued scrolling down out of morbid curiosity.

The faces were getting to him, making him feel uncomfortable. There was wide variety of genders and ages, but no one over the age of 30, Kaiba mused, how odd. Perhaps this trafficking ring specialized in younger ones, because the price would increase as the age went lower, apparently to as young as three.

Seto felt truly sick now and his head was spinning terribly. He decided he should stop drinking for the night, considering how the risk of vomiting had now reached an all time high.

There was an obvious line-break in the middle of the page and suddenly, several beautiful young girls and boys stared out emptily from the thumbnails, looking dark and troubled, some looked even younger than Mokuba.

As he continued scrolling down, Seto noticed the features of the people in the photos were steadily becoming more and more attractive, with the price tag rising higher and higher as a result.

Seto shivered. It was like he was looking through a tiny window, directly into their eyes, feeling their suffering, but he kept scrolling. He wanted to see it all before he clicked away. He reached the very bottom, and noticed that this photo was larger than all the others...and it was just of a pair of knees.

 _The price tag is ridiculous_ , Seto snorted as he counted the commas and zeros, _I could buy so many other useful things with that kind of money. Like another car, for example._

He clicked on it anyway. Was this their most prized asset? It sure seemed like it. The word "virgin" was emblazoned across the top in every language known to man.

Seto held his breath and scrolled down. He was greeted with the same set of thumbnails, but only of hands, feet, and a pair of very alluring violet eyes, framed with very dark, long lashes.

Seto clicked on the images of the hands, trying to guess the age of the mysterious person for sale. He noticed was how the skin was smooth and an exotic, deep-toned olive color.

Interesting, Seto mused as he looked down at his own hands, trying to imagine Mokuba's hands. Judging by the size and shape of the nails and how smooth the skin was, it was probably a girl, several years older than Mokuba, but a few years younger than himself...probably.

Seto hummed, tapping the edge of the keyboard, amused.

 _The world is pretty shitty,_ he concluded. He closed out of the browser and shut his laptop firmly, standing up unsteadily and stumbling over towards his bed.

* * *

Yami sat on a dirty bed with grey sheets that reeked of sweat and urine. He looked around the room feeling extremely disoriented and hungry.

There were other beds similar to his, lined around the room hugging the walls, but they were all empty.

They had been that way for a long time. He drew his knees up to his chest protectively, trying not to touch anything around him.

He had been in this moldy filthy room for seven days and eight nights. He had counted, by watching the sun filter in through the tiny slit near the ceiling.

Large cracks ran down the stone walls, with heaps of mold creeping through every visible gap. Yami rocked back and forth, angry at himself for not being more careful.

He had been caught, stealing a peach from the marketplace display. He had been watching the stall for an entire day, and had even waited until the owner ducked down behind the boxes of peaches, helping another customer.

He remembered running and running, as the peach customer and his men chased him into an alleyway and pinned him down, tying a cloth bag over his head. The rough, burlap fabric had rubbed into his cheeks painfully as he was thrown into the back of their vehicle.

He remembered them driving for a long time. He had tried counting the minutes and seconds, the turns and stops, but had failed. The only thing he knew was that there were men were sitting on either side of him, and every time he moved or spoke, they would choke him.

Yami touched his neck gingerly. The bruises had faded, but the memory was still fresh. He remembered being dragged out of the vehicle and then forcibly held down as something stung him in the middle of his forearm, and then...nothing.

He had woken up in a room similar to this, but it was full of other children and teenagers. At first, he thought he was at an orphanage, after all, he had just been dragged off the street with no ties to any family, nor did he carry any form of identification.

He was not allowed to leave the room, because a guard stood imposingly by the door at all times. The kids who did get to leave the room always came back crying, dirty, and smelly. And it was always a different smell too, and Yami couldn't place what it was.

There was a girl in a bed next to his, who would glare at him. When he spoke to her, the only words she would say was, "You're next."

Yami had gone around the room asking questions, but was given dirty looks and someone even shoved him onto the floor. He hadn't tried talking to anyone else after that.

On the second day, he was pulled out of the filthy room by a thin bearded man. He was brought into a clean room, where a balding man with a fat stomach was sitting on the pillows covering the floor.

"Come sit here, next to me," The man had said nicely, and the thin bearded man had dragged him over to sit down. Yami tried to appreciate how clean the room was, but before he could, the balding man was on top of him, pressing his knees down painfully with a thick, hairy arm.

"Where do you like it?" The sweaty man had asked, "I will do it to you just the way you like it, then I can show you ...what I like."

"Do..what?" Yami remembered asking, feeling suddenly more afraid and confused than ever. Did the man want to wrestle? Fight? If so, this was an unfair fight.

"You don't know?" The man had said, and the thin bearded man coughed, asking if he knew what sex was.

"Yes," Yami replied, remembering being startled by the question, "Sex, happens between a man and a woman...to create...babies."

And as he finished speaking, the balding fat man suddenly looked evil, and he loomed over him, sweat trailing down his disgusting chest as it heaved with excitement. "I see," The ugly man had said gleefully, "I will be showing you a different kind of sex, you're in for a treat."

And Yami remembered feeling extremely terrified, "How can you do that?! I am not a girl!" he cried as he punched the man in the face. The man had yelled out in pain and pressed a sausage-like hand to his face, gasping and wheezing while Yami tried to struggle his way out from underneath him.

The thin bearded man was now talking through a mobile phone, whispering something, and Yami had called out to him, "Help me!" But the thin bearded man ignored him.

The balding fat man was breathing heavily, wheezing with anger as he gripped Yami's wrist so tightly his whole arm hurt. "I've never had a virgin before, and never one as beautiful as you...! Come here. I paid for a full hour."

 _Paid?!_ Yami had remembered thinking, still struggling to get away. The disgusting fat man was now sitting on top of him. The sweat from the man's thighs were soaking into his clothes.

Suddenly, the thin bearded man hung up the phone and rushed at the fat man, pulling him into a tight choke hold. Yami had watched with deep horror as the fat man's face began turning a ripe purple as the thin bearded man dragged him, kicking and struggling, into the farthest corner of the room.

Gasping and wheezing, the fat balding man had tried to throw a retaliating punch at the thin bearded man, but he had already stepped aside, picked Yami up, and moved him towards the door.

"I paid...for a full hour!" The man panted, red and purple in the face with anger, "It's your own fault your establishment messed up your sorting!"

"You did not pay a full hour with a virgin," The thin bearded man said stiffly, "As compensation, we will give you two of your choice, to make up for this mistake."

"Come back!" The fat man had cried, but Yami had already been whisked away into another room. The building had an upstairs, and Yami had tried to remember the halls and doorways, but he was dragged by too quickly to read the labels on the doors.

He was thrown into a room, this time with carpet. His knees stung as he stood up painfully, angry and irritated at being thrown around so much. The thin bearded man had moved forwards to speak with a man sitting at a large wooden desk.

A large bed sat in the corner of the room, and Yami ached to be on clean sheets. He just wanted to be clean...everything so so dirty. Would they let him bathe? Would this man, who seemed to be the boss, let him have clean water?

Every time he had asked someone about water, he had either been hit, or had been told "water privileges are to be earned." What did he have to do to earn water?!

The man was so disgusting, Yami felt like he needed a whole ocean of water to be rid of the filthy sweat smell...and then that's when Yami had realized, the smell coming from the other teens in the room was...from...men like him.

Now, Yami wanted to run. He wanted to escape. He tried to run out the doors, but men with guns grabbed him by the arms and dragged him back into the room.

"Come here boy." The man at the desk had commanded. "No one touch him."

Yami moved forwards to the desk slowly, staring at the phone on the table. Could he call the authorities? Would they come into this terrible place and save him? The thin bearded man saw his gaze on the telephone and had immediately walked behind the desk, ripping the cord out from the wall, holding up the end for Yami to see.

"You don't know what sex is, boy?" The man behind the desk asked sternly.

"I do know what it is," Yami had remembered replying indignantly.

"How do you have sex between you and me?" The man had asked.

Yami contemplated his answer carefully. If he answered correctly would he be released? If he answered incorrectly, would be killed by the men at the door, by not know what sex between men entailed? He had decided to ask that question before saying anything else.

"Will you kill me if I answer incorrectly?" He had said with a trembling voice, and all the men in the room had laughed at him.

"No." The man at the desk said, "Now tell me all the ways you know of. Sex."

Yami paused and constructed his answer carefully. "Sex...with a man? You..wrestle.." Yami had said, recalling the way the man had pinned him down, "Just the way that man did with me earlier. And I..we…wrestle back..and we kiss..."

And all the men in the room had laughed at him, louder this time.

"May I have water? A bath? A shower?" He had asked hopefully, and to his great surprise, the man behind the desk nodded.

He was dragged away and brought into an empty shower room, with many spouts lining the walls. The thin bearded man stood by the entrance the entire time, watching him lazily.

Yami had hurriedly scrubbed himself beneath the cold water, desperate to be clean, but when he finished, the bearded man handed him the same set of filthy clothes. Being clean was pointless.

He was then dragged him back into the room with the desk and they took photos of his legs, hands, and face. Was he getting an ID? Who were these men anyway? He had been too afraid to ask, for fear of being hit or kicked again.

A few days ago, he had been forced to change out of his clothes and into what he was wearing now; a pair of thin grey shirts and shorts, and was locked into the room he was sitting in currently.

He had been alone ever since, and occasionally, someone would come in to leave a plate of food on the bed for him. Yami's stomach growled slightly, wishing it was more than just bread and a bruised apple. He had a feeling they were keeping him thin and weak on purpose.

He thought of nothing but food and escape, and where he would acquire food next if he managed to get out. Was he going to remain a prisoner forever? He had resorted to sleeping on the floor because the bed was too disgusting.

Suddenly, the door burst open and two burly men dragged in a young boy, kicking and screaming. The noise gave Yami a huge fright and he sat very still, watching the boy bite one of the guards, and was subsequently hit across the face.

Yami flinched, feeling his pain. The guards glared at him before slamming the door shut behind them and locking it with a loud, echoing click.

The boy began sobbing and crying so loudly, his voice was becoming hoarse.

Yami was starting to get a slight headache from the boy's cries, and his pity was fading as the crying went on longer and longer.

The boy was surprisingly clean, his fingernails and light brown hair were nicely cut and shiny. Yami couldn't stop staring at him. He looked to be about a few years younger than Yami

"Please stop crying." Yami said quietly, hoping he could somehow calm the boy down. Perhaps now he had a companion, and this was someone he could escape with! If only he would stop crying for a moment, they could talk and plan together.

The boy ignored him and continued to sob loudly into his sleeve. He was wearing an interesting set of clothes. A shirt with a collar and shiny buttons, even shoes with nice laces. This boy looked wealthy! Was this boy kidnapped from a wealthy family?

"Do you miss your family?" Yami asked, carefully standing up and making his way over to the boy.

"I-I don't have..f-family." The boy hiccuped miserably, "I'm going to die h-here. I will ki-kill myself before I work for those men!"

Yami frowned, confused, "Work for? What do you have to do for those men?"

The boy stopped hiccupping and wiped his face quickly on his sleeve, staring at Yami incredulously, "You don't know?! ...Wait, what is your number?" he asked suddenly.

Yami was getting frustrated, "What are you talking about?" These questions were pointless. They needed to plan their escape!

"Your purchase number!" The boy insisted, holding out his arm and showing him a set of little round numbers tattooed across the pulse point on his wrist.

Yami froze and slowly raised his arm, realizing he had never noticed this number on his wrist before, the numbers were so tiny.

"65-832." He replied, curiously looking at the tattoo on his skin. His skin began to crawl. He scratched at it and the skin became red. Horrified, Yami stared at the set of numbers. Was this inked into his skin without his knowledge?

What was a purchase number? When had he gotten this? Perhaps from the time he could remember nothing after they had pulled him out of the vehicle.

"I don't remember getting it either." The boy said, almost as if he read his mind. "They drugged me when they kidnapped me off the street. I am the one before you. I am 65-831. We don't have names, we are only numbers to those men. We make them so much money, it makes me sick."

Yami swallowed nervously, "Money? I don't remember seeing money anywhere..."

The boy blinked and stared at him. "You don't know where you are? You..haven't been...u-used yet? How long have you been here?!"

Yami thought the boy was speaking oddly and he answered truthfully, "Seven days, eight nights."

The boy's eyes widened even more and Yami noticed they were beautifully almond shaped, "You've been here that long and you haven't been used?! You are a virgin! Like I was..!"

"Yes everyone kept saying that." Yami said, irritated, "I don't know what the big deal is." When was a good time to broach the topic of escape?

The boy swallowed visibly and another tear rolled down his cheek. Yami was afraid he had said or done something wrong. "No, please don't cry! I didn't meant to make you cry..."

The boy hiccuped again and shook his head, "I feel..sorry for you. So I will help you."

"Yes!" Yami exclaimed excitedly looking up at the tiny window near the ceiling, "Let's help each other! We can escape!" Perhaps they could climb up on each other.

The boy shook his head sadly again, "No. There is no escaping from here. There are men with guns everywhere and you will be beaten when you're caught. You probably have a better chance of escaping when you are with your owner."

Yami sat down on the filthy bed beside the boy, trying to understand, "Owner." He repeated. He was secretly glad he got the boy to stop crying.

He would keep speaking with the boy, and when the boy was finished telling his story, they could leave together.

"Yes," The boy said, smiling sadly, "And you are prettier than me, so you will probably be sold for a lot of money, and probably to a woman if you're so lucky. I hear women are better owners, but only slightly. They still do terrible things to you, like tie you up just to stick a plastic penis into your hole and watch you cry."

Yami felt like laughing. The boy was being ridiculous. Did people really do things like that?! He was going to be sold..?! Like ...a slave?!

"Listen!" The boy said desperately, his tears beginning to dry on his face, "You look so confused. So just listen to what I have to say, and remember everything! This will save your life! I wish I had someone to tell me these things before I was sold, then I would have had a chance at escaping."

Yami nodded and tried to smile at the boy, "I am listening."

"Everything depends on how tight your hole is. People come in here and pay for sex, with us. Boys and girls like you and me I'm sure you've seen them." The boy said shakily, "I'm going to be kept in that room now, with everyone else..oh god...it's so filthy in there, I don't think I can do it! I would rather die!"

Yami reached out to pat the boy gently on the shoulder but the boy recoiled and flinched, "Don't touch me."

Yami withdrew his hand quickly and apologized, "I'm sorry."

"Next..." The boy said shakily, "When you're sold, they will put you on an airplane with guards. There will be guards everywhere at all times, BUT TRY TO ESCAPE! Any way you can! You will fly into a foreign country where your owner lives. You will not be able to read or speak the language, but listen when people speak! Everything will be different, so remember roads and signs, try to learn how to read the language."

The boy paused, looking at Yami with his large wet eyes, "If you do learn the language, escaping would be so much easier later on. Your owner will keep you stupid. Mine never let me near books, magazines, or even the TV."

"I will do that." Yami said, trying to reassure the boy, more than anything. But then he realized the boy kept saying "he".

Yami's curiosity deepened when he asked, "You were sold to a man? I thought men wanted sex with women..."

Where was this boy getting his horrible stories?!

"It doesn't matter ...man or woman...as long as you have a hole..." The boy said sadly, "My owner, was old, fat, and disgusting. But he was very wealthy and also had two wives! He had many places to hide me. He owned boats, planes, and houses in different counties. He would take me out to see the forest, the ocean, and places filled with animals! Can you believe I've been around the world? I've seen the ocean in different countries!" The boy exclaimed, growing tearful again.

Yami shook his head, becoming more and more afraid by the second. The boy seemed to be telling the truth. And if these stories were made up, how could a boy as young as this, describe such dramatic and terrible events? Was it possible to be that wealthy? Wealthy enough...to buy another human being?

"He will touch you," The boy continued, staring straight ahead into the wall, "Right after you arrive. And he will insist you clean yourself. After you've cleaned yourself, he will spread you and dirty you."

"You keep saying 'dirtied'" Yami said slowly, "What do you mean by that?!"

The boy ignored him again and continued speaking, "Your owner will make you clean yourself every time he wants to dirty you. He will spread you open against your will and ram his dick in your hole. You will bleed and cry, but he won't ever stop. If anything, crying and bleeding makes him happy. Then, after you've been thoroughly hurt, he'll take you to the doctor and tell them you did it to yourself. Like you were stupid enough to hurt yourself back there with an object."

"M-my hole?!" Yami asked, horrified. That was where shit came out! Did other people find that pleasurable?!

"But don't bother telling the doctor you need help escaping. Everyone around you will work for him ...or her." The boy said, in a dark monotone voice. "Sometimes, the doctor even gave me needles and brightly colored pills that made me numb and forget pain...but the pain always came back. My owner would abuse my hole after these doctor visits too. He knew I couldn't feel it, so it was...merciful."

"How-"Yami began, but the boy cut across him angrily.

"I said listen!" The boy almost shouted, "This will save your life! Don't question, just listen!"

There was a loud banging at the doorway, causing them both to jump and glance at the door with similar looks of terror. "SHUT UP!" Came a loud voice and a heavy sounding fist rattled the thick metal door.

The boy lowered his head and hiccupped, frantically whispering now. "If you manage to find an officer, hold onto their arm and don't let go! You will be saved. I've heard many girls escaping their owners that way. I never managed to do that because my owner often kept me at home or on his private boat. And whenever we went out, we were surrounded by his guards!"

Yami nodded stiffly, trying to memorize every word the boy was saying, even if he didn't understand what they meant.

"Also, get accustomed to strangers touching you, watching you, and having sex with you." The boy said, tears rolling down his cheeks again. "My owner...he passed me around to his good-looking rich friends, sometimes even for weeks on end. I would be treated the worst by the most handsome men I've ever seen! They would pay him money, and rent me for their sex parties."

Yami was horrified at this news and he shook his head, "Do you think...I will be sold soon?" He didn't want any of this happening to him, if any of it was even true!

"Good-looking rich people are the worst." The boy continued, ignoring his question, "Because you won't even be special in their eyes. You're just a new toy ready to be played with and then thrown away when they're bored. They might even have more than one toy! Someone other than you, also bought from here, or somewhere else. But wait until they get married, and return you, here." The boy gestured around the room sullenly. "Like my owner."

Yami couldn't believe his ears. This boy had been...returned?! People would buy more than...one?!

"The sad thing is, I was even beginning to like him a little," The boy's voice rose, trembling with emotion, "Even if he was a heartless, fat, ugly pig. I was even thinking I could live with being a toy forever, if I was provided for, even if it was painful, I could endure it. But instead, he got married and threw me away. Now I've been dirtied. I will work forever as a slave in the other room, having strangers touch me and fuck my hole."

"I'm..sorry." Yami managed, unsure of what to say. Everything sounded terrible, too terrible. Was his owner going to throw him away as well?!

"He would buy me cold treats and get me whatever I asked for, if I was being good!" The boy cried, his face still shining with tears, "I thought it was too good to be true! The worst was when he was angry. He would come into my room...and..."

The boy swallowed, "And I wouldn't be able to walk for the next three days. On those days, in-house doctor would come and see me. I was locked inside the room like a pet, never allowed to leave, and only taken outside for trips when I was good at taking his dick."

Yami nodded again, gripping the soiled sheets tightly with anxiety. "What was the worst thing that your owner ever did to you?" He asked, dreading the answer

The boy ignored him again and kept speaking, "If your hole is damaged, he will make you use your mouth to suck on his dick until he feels satisfied. If you bite down, he will slap you or hit you. He may even have friends or servants hold you down while he dirties your hole for the first time, especially if you struggle like me. _They like the struggle_ , so never struggle once you're caught, you will only be hurt more."

Yami was shaking from head to toe now. He had been trying to imagine in his head what that would even look like, and he couldn't. He just felt cold all over.

"So at every opportunity, _stay away from him!_ And stay away from his servants. They'll pretend to be nice to you, but once you show the slightest signs or say anything about escaping, they will take you immediately to the owner to be ..punished." The boy said, breathing erratically. "If he's really feeling in a good mood after you pleasure him, he'll take you outside and buy you gifts. Those are the times, you can look for escape!"

Yami couldn't look at the boy anymore. The words coming out of his mouth were too horrible for him to comprehend.

"What is your name?" Yami asked softly.

"I-I don't remember..!" The boy cried, more tears leaking down his cheeks and staining his pants, "Sometimes, my owner drugged my food with white powder, or crushed pills, so I won't struggle as much when he puts his dick inside my hole! I've had so many men put needles in my arm, I wouldn't know what day it was when I woke up! In the beginning, I stupidly ate food that was drugged, and I would wake up with him on top of me, or I would wake up sore and bleeding, not knowing what happened!"

Yami's ears began ringing. The smell of urine and sweat in the room was becoming unbearable. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming, or if this was really happening. The owner had drugged this kid so much he had forgotten who he was...! Was that his future?! Would that happen to him if he wasn't careful?! Perhaps this information would save his life after all...!

The boy began crying in earnest again and Yami hastily got up off the bed, "Please, if there is anything else you can tell me..!"

There was banging and rustling from behind the door and the boy stopped crying, looking up, terrified, "They're coming for me!"

"Anything else?! Please help me!" Yami cried, his palms sweating as he clenched them at his sides.

"Yes. Three things you must always remember!" The boy whispered tearfully. "Protect your hole, learn everything, and escape! Your hole is your most precious weapon! The second he dirties your hole, you're worthless when you get sent back here! Any second he lays his eyes on you, he will try to dirty you, your mouth, your hands, your body.." The boy shuddered and hugged himself.

"Sometimes, my owner would make me think I wanted it." The boy continued, "He would sit and stare, and just let me come to him. Those times, he would let me do whatever I wanted...on top of him, so, if you don't like pain, that might be the best way..." The boy pulled his collar down to show Yami his hickeys.

Yami stared and stared at the dark bruising marks spotted around the boy's neck, numb with terror. That didn't sound like the best way at all.

"If you can escape..." The boy said miserably, "Live your life! Get a job selling bread or fruit! I wish someone had told me to...take advantage of your owner's wealth! Money is meaningless to them anyway, so make them buy you everything you want. B-Because...you may never have it again... like me, right...n-now!"

The boy sobbed into his sleeve just as two burly men burst into the room. The boy kicked and screamed as one of the men grabbed him and dragged him off the bed, yelling at him to shut up.

Yami backed away from them so quickly his head hit the wall behind him painfully. The other man grabbed him and yanked him forwards, forcefully, pressing him flush against his fat, sweaty body. Yami recoiled, disgusted, trying to pull himself back. He could smell the man's sour breath against his neck

"Let go of me! Don't take me there! I won't do it!" The boy screamed, kicking the man in the shins.

The thin guard slapped him across the face and the boy screamed louder, his eyes nailed to the door, trying to pull away.

"Look at how quiet this one is..!" The ugly guard holding Yami said gleefully, "You got the bad one. I've got the good one. I heard this one is pure.."

The ugly man breathed heavily over Yami's face and Yami looked away quickly, but the man's hand gripped the back of his hair, jerking his head back around so fast his neck hurt.

"Don't do that to new product." The thin man snapped, gripping the tearful boy roughly. "I want to buy a car for my wife, his owner paid handsomely, and quickly too. Fastest, most hassle-free payment we've ever received. So _don't touch him._ "

The boy stopped struggling as soon as he heard these words, "How much!" he demanded. "I want to know!"

"More than you, that's for sure!" His guard said evilly, "Enough to buy fifteen more of these facilities!"

Yami's eyes widened in horror. How much money was that?! How could one person have so much money?! Was that possible?! And the money was being used to create more of this disgusting crime!

"I want to know the number!" The boy cried, shaking his fist at the guard, "I'm not stupid you know! I can read and write! I am expensive too!"

"Not...anymore..!" The thin guard leered, "You're not new anymore! You're here to service our regular customers now."

"I WON'T! I REFUSE!" The boy screamed hoarsely and his handler shook him viciously.

While the thin man was struggling with the boy, Yami's guard grinned at him, "You're a good boy, aren't you? You're going to be spread soon...how much of a virgin are you? How about a kiss?"

"Don't!" The thin man snapped, "The owner gets what they paid for."

"His owner paid for a clean hole," The ugly guard said evilly, his hairy arm tightening around Yami's waist, "Never said anything about his mouth being dirty." And the guard pressed his swollen lips onto Yami's bottom lip, sucking wetly while his other sweaty hand shoved violently up his shirt.

Yami's eyes widened as he tried to yell, and he reached his hands up to push the guard off of him, struggling in vain because the man was too large.

"Get the hell off the product!" The other guard hissed, kicking his co-worker in the shin. "You're going to be shot, for doing that to such an expensive piece!"

The sweaty guard yelped and gripped his leg in pain, releasing Yami.

Yami stumbled back, feeling nauseous and disgusted. He quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, shaken and petrified. That was the worst feeling he had ever known.

"Don't do that to him!" The boy screamed tearfully, "Do it to me instead! I'm better!"

The guard's clammy grip wrapped around Yami's wrist once more and Yami didn't have the energy to fight back. It was all too much. He was frozen with shock and terror.

This meant everything that the boy had told him earlier had to be true, to some extent.

"Shut up." The boy's guard said, dragging him towards the door.

"No..! No..! I'm good! I'm really good!" The boy insisted, looking imploringly up at Yami's guard, "Buy me, right now! I'll suck your dick really well! My perverted owner taught me lots of tricks, I can even teach you some..!"

The guards paused as they looked at each other uncertainly.

"Don't listen to him." The thin guard said, eyeing his fat co-worker wearily. "You couldn't afford him, even if he is cheap now."

"I'll suck your dick..! Really well!" The boy cried tearfully, looking directly at Yami, "Listen! Are you listening?! Those are magic words! It'll save your life! Learn them in the language!"

The thin guard looked down and shook the boy by the arm viciously, "Shut up right now! What are you saying to him? Shut the hell up you filthy piece of shit."

The fat sweaty guard suddenly let go of Yami and elbowed his co-worker aside, "I've decided. I'll buy him. Look at him, so feisty and young. I'll take him home and make him cook and clean."

"Yes! Do that to me!" The boy cried desperately as the guards quickly switched places, "Anything is better than a life out there, having strangers dirty my hole! I will catch a disease and die here anyway! My life is over!"

The thin guard wrapped his cold hand around Yami's wrist, glaring at his sweaty co-worker. "Do as you wish, I am getting paid for this product. If you're spending your portion on this filth, I will deliver this one myself."

"We're all getting paid!" The fat sweaty guard said gleefully, licking the boy's ear wetly. "I will spend my portion now! I now have a servant in my home, how delicious."

The boy shuddered and grimaced, but composed himself and shot the guard a playful smile, "Do the other one," he demanded. "Buy me. Dirty my hole, right now, and that will seal our deal."

"Very well..!" The guard said joyfully, pushing the boy down onto one of the beds, "And you'll make me feel good? Better than a woman?"

"I know things even women don't know." The boy said cleverly, looking stricken and afraid, shooting desperate glances over at Yami.

Yami understood immediately. The boy was showing him how to survive.

"I'm leaving. I'm not interested in this." His guard said gruffly, pulling Yami roughly towards the door.

Yami stumbled forwards and heard a muffled scream. He turned around to see the boy, face-down on mattress, with the guard grinding his fat penis over the boy's thin pants.

"Walk!" His guard commanded, shoving him out the door and shutting it behind them, but not before Yami caught the look of pure terror and desperation on the boy's face, tears streaking down on his now grimy cheeks.

* * *

Kaiba rolled over and cracked an eye open, feeling his head pound heavily as the light grew brighter and brighter.

 _I'm dying_ , Seto thought miserably, _This is what death feels like. I'm dying._

There was a soft knock at the door and Seto winced at the noise. Isono walked into the room carrying a silver tray with coffee and two slices of bread. He set it down gently on the nightstand beside Seto's bed and Seto groaned, massaging his temples in pain.

"Could you not..be so loud..?" Seto said irritably, his head throbbing with pain at every small clink the spoon while Isono stirred the coffee.

"Apologies," Isono said, frowning worriedly. "I know you were awake very late last night, Master Kaiba. Have you made a decision? "

"No, I haven't!" Seto snapped, "You can't just make decisions like these lightly. In fact, I believe Mokuba should have a say in this."

Isono paused and shook his head slightly, "I'm not sure that would be wise."

"Oh really..." Seto hissed, attempting to sit up. His head felt like it weighed a ton of bricks and his body was strangely sore. He had really overdone it last night.

Mokuba came rushing into the room, still in his pajamas, sounding excited, "I heard my name, Seto! You wanted to show me something?"

"Yeah," Seto said tiredly, swinging his legs over the edge of his large king-sized bed, "That file folder right there on the floor."

Mokuba frowned, confused. He walked over to Seto's desk and picked up the leather file; it felt heavy in his hands, which was strange. What was in this?

He flipped it open and a pretty brunette was smiled back at him from the shiny, laminated page. He turned to the next page, and almost dropped the file in shock. The girl's entire life was written down on the page, even her height, weight, and eye color. What was this?!

"I don't understand!" Mokuba cried, feeling himself shake slightly. He had a bad feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

"It's a marriage profile." Seto said calmly, his head throbbing while he sat on the edge of the bed, sipping his coffee adamantly, "Arranged marriages. "Matchmaking" would the nicer term for it."

He turned and looked at Seto, confused, "Y-You wanna get married?! T-TO THIS GIRL?!"

Seto let out a haughty laugh and glared at Isono, "What do you think?"

Mokuba shut the file with a snap, feeling agitated, "I think it's stupid! Why do you need to get married?! You have me!"

Isono let out a polite cough and spoke, "It has been brought to Mr. Kaiba's attention that...perhaps in order to keep the success of Kaiba Corporation-"

Mokuba cut him off rudely, "Oh yeah, I know. But Seto doesn't need to get married... _now!_ "

"Or ever." Seto added lightly, smiling into his coffee cup. "And there's a whole stack just like her, on my desk." He said, pointing at the tower of leather files sitting on the edge of his desk.

"Well, this is stupid." Mokuba repeated angrily, opening the file again, "This...Annabelle, who looks really dumb by the way. Look what she wrote in her bio, ' _I can play the flute really well...'_ What is that supposed to mean?! She's good at giving a blow job?!"

Seto snorted into his coffee, almost spilling it onto his lap. "Where the hell did you learn that?!"

Isono began to visibly sweat, and he glanced nervously towards the door, looking as though he wanted to leave.

"Internet. Where else?" Mokuba responded savagely.

"Right.." Seto said plainly, making a mental note to tighten browsing restrictions on Mokuba's computer, although...he wasn't one to preach about good internet browsing habits.  
He shuddered as he recalled the grim images on his screen from last night.

"I'm gonna go eat my breakfast downstairs," Mokuba said furiously, storming out of the room.

Seto watched him go with an air of amusement.

Isono spoke up again, quieter this time, "Master Kaiba, what was the purpose of that?"

"You can't just add a family member without the approval of the current members." Seto said simply.

"Th-This isn't a _club_ , Mr. Kaiba..." Isono said, stammering, "Your company's future...if you have children while you're still young, you'll have the energy to raise and hone the child..."

"Leave." Kaiba said firmly, his head still pounding violently. "And get those disgusting files off my desk. I hate them all."

Isono nodded and quickly picked the stack of files up from Seto's desk and hurried quietly out of the room.

Seto set his coffee back down on the silver tray and leaned back into the pillows, staring up at the high ceiling, the dark violet eyes he'd seen last night on the seedy website was haunting him.

He pushed the image out of his mind and stood up off the bed, extremely unsteady on his feet.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Remember how I put out a poll last month at the end of _Soleil Boulangerie,_ asking for a vote? Well, this fic won! (It was originally titled "dark theme" something or other lol)  
AND HERE IT IS. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote :

**Your thoughts and reviews are appreciatedddd! (hugs and kisses)**

**Next chapter up Saturday Sept 7th.**

I'll update this fic ****every other week** , **but if you want a chapter every week, yell or ask nicely in the reviews section and I will comply.

-Ugli


	2. a monster

Yami felt strangely nauseous as he slowly woke up from a deep, drugged sleep. He blinked twice, looking around. He was propped upright in a seat, with guards sitting tightly on either side of him.

Yami forced his eyes to open wider as he tried to remain alert. There was a loud rumbling all around him and Yami spotted small windows along the sides of the walls.

He could see streaks of white clouds and large expanse of blue passing by in the small windows. His nausea grew heavier as Yami realized he was sitting on an airplane. The boy's advice was coming true, word for word. This did not make him feel any better.

He looked around some more and saw long rows of seats in front and around them, but they were all empty. Yami shifted uncomfortably, and stared at the guard's knees.

It wasn't as fat as he remembered. He dared to look the guard in the face and realized they were completely different people. These men were slim, fit, wearing dark suits and had short, matching haircuts.

They were pointedly ignoring him, so Yami continued to stare. The guard on his left, sitting closest to the walkway, looked almost like a snake. He had short black hair, tight looking skin, very thin slanted eyes, and cold black pupils.

Yami had never seen these types of features on people before. He looked over at the guard on his right, and received a slight shock. This guard was dark skinned and had tight curls that sat close to his head. He had drooping half-moon eyes and a permanent frown. The worst part, however, were the guns peeking out from both of their belts. Yami swallowed.

He decided to try his luck by speaking to the guard with slitted eyes on his left, "Where are we going?"

The man ignored him.

Yami turned to speak to the muscular, dark-skinned man, repeating his question, and was also ignored. He craned his neck to glance out the window, trying to see more, but the guard's thick body was obscuring the entire view.

Yami pointed at the window and the guard slapped his hand away. Offended, Yami put his hand in his lap and stared down at his knees. He recited the boy's advice over in his head, attempting to put everything in order.

He was on an airplane, which meant he had been sold. That much had been established ...back in the filthy urine-soaked room.

Second, he had been drugged, again, and probably on his way to a foreign country, where an impossibly rich man or woman, had purchased him. And then...he would be dirtied.

Yami shuddered and fidgeted, too frightened to stay still. He had so many questions and no one wanted to answer him. His mouth was dry, and Yami licked his lips, swallowing uncomfortably. He hadn't had anything to eat or drink in two days.

He bravely tapped the guard with slitted eyes on his left and pointed at his throat, "I need ..to drink."

The black-haired guard leaned over to look at his co-worker and the dark-skinned man nodded, raising his hand high above his head.

Yami stared at him curiously. He could see the bulges of the man's muscles threatening to burst out of the long sleeved jacket he was wearing. It looked like his entire arm had been carved from stone.

 _He must be very strong!_ Yami thought, shaken. One of this guard's arms was thicker than both of his thighs pressed together. He then realized, it was probably to keep him from running away. He snuck another glance at the guard with slitted eyes sitting beside him and realized this guard was much thinner. In fact, he almost looked like a normal man...

Suddenly, Yami heard a pleasant tinkling sound and a neatly dressed woman appeared next to their seats. She handed two bottles to the slitted-eyed guard sitting on his left. One bottle was bright green and the other was clear. She walked away quickly, not making eye contact.

The guard placed both bottles Yami's lap and leaned back in his seat, sighing, visibly irritated.

The cold from the bottles seeped through Yami's thin shorts as they lay on top of his legs. Yami was relieved that he had managed to convey that he needed water, but...the labels on the bottles were beginning to concern him. The green bottle had a strange language written on it with angles and thin slashes.

He had never seen anything like it before. Yami ran his thumb over it, feeling his anxiety rise. He picked the other bottle up from his lap and saw that that label was also written in the strange language.

Yami's throat began tightening with fear, no longer thirsty.  
They were going to a country where the language looked like this! Which one was water? Was this safe to drink?

Yami tried comparing the slashes and curls from each label, trying to find something that matched. Neither did. Both had different swirls and lines written across the front. He licked his lips again, feeling his desperation rise. It should be fine; after all, it was sealed.

He cracked open the lid on the clear bottle and took a tentative sip. It was crisp and cold.

 _Ah...this is good water!_ Yami thought happily. _But..then..what is this?_

He picked up the green bottle again curiously. He twisted it open quickly and the bottle hissed at him.

Yami yelped and the bottle almost slipped from his grasp. A large, dark-skinned hand slid across his face to steady the bottle in his hands. Yami watched, wide-eyed and horrified, as a wave of white foam bubbled up into the rim and began to leak down the sides.

"I'm sorry!" He cried, flinching as he expected to be hit. The dark-skinned guard did nothing other than raise his hand up high again.

Yami sat very still, clutching the foaming bottle, feeling the cold liquid drip down his fingers and onto his knees, his terror rising. What was this strange drink he had just opened?! Did all drinks in this country hiss like snakes?

The clinking sound grew louder and the neatly dressed woman showed up again, this time handing the slitted-eyed guard a large stack of white napkins and walked away quickly.

The slitted-eyed guard tossed them carelessly into Yami's lap and folded his arms across his chest, closing his eyes once again, his brows furrowed into an annoyed frown.

Yami dabbed at the liquid carefully, making sure to pick up every drop. Did he still want to drink this odd drink? Deciding he ought to try everything once, Yami carefully unscrewed the cap and watched as the foam stayed still.

 _How curious!_ Yami thought excitedly and he placed his lips on the rim, taking a cautious sip. A wonderful bubbling sensation slid down his throat and Yami quickly took another sip, feeling the liquid pop and fizz over his tongue pleasantly. It tasted like nothing, but the bubbles stung his throat as he swallowed, quenching his thirst immediately.

Was this water too?! Yami could barely contain himself has he sipped and sipped the drink, trying to enjoy it as much as he could. Before he knew it, he had finished the drink and Yami gripped it tightly, feeling disappointment curl in his chest.

He was still extremely uncomfortable and dirty from the sweat of his previous handler, and from the urine on the beds. Yami had to restrain his every movement because the two guards were taking turns monitoring him. Neither of them slept at the same time, and Yami watched as the slitted-eyed guard woke up and nodded at the dark-skinned man, who then closed his eyes.

The nameless boy was right. He probably had a better chance at escaping once he arrived in the foreign country.

Yami wanted to look out the window so badly. He had never been up in the air before.

The dark-skinned guard had leaned back into the seat while he slept, making it easy for Yami to see though half of the window. Everything was dark now and the window was just a black panel; clearly it was nighttime. There was a red light blinking somewhere in the window, Yami kept seeing the light flash occasionally but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Everything was still rumbling and whooshing very loudly and Yami wondered how the guards could manage to sleep through all this noise and shaking.

How long had they been sitting in this plane? How long had he slept while drugged? Yami had no way to tell the time and it was beginning to irritate him greatly.

The one thing he could do when he was locked in the room, was count the days. Now, he didn't even have that luxury. Yami leaned back in his seat and tried to entertain himself with the thoughts in his own head, but images of the nameless boy's tear-streaked face pushed down on the mattress kept resurfacing, making him feel nauseous all over again.

The light outside his window was steadily getting lighter, and Yami could feel his lower legs growing numb. Had he stayed awake all night? Or were they flying towards the sun?

Suddenly, the plane dipped downwards violently and Yami felt his stomach swooping and churning. It was like they were falling out of the sky!

The plane was shaking and rumbling so loudly he could barely hear himself think. Suddenly, the thin guard stood up from his seat and gestured for him to stand.

Had they arrived?! Yami thought nervously as he hesitated before standing up unsteadily, his legs very numb from sitting too long.

He felt the dark-skinned guard breathing heavily behind him and the hair on his arms began to stand up. The slitted-eyed guard led him down the narrow aisle, and Yami carefully eased himself down the aisle, putting one foot in front of the other, shaking from head to toe.

The floor was tilting and dipping too violently. The deafening roaring noise of the plane was causing his ears to ring painfully. His head was still feeling numb from the effects of the drug.

The dark-skinned guard pushed Yami forwards steadily, his large hand creating a giant warm spot between his shoulder blades.

The slitted-eyed guard was waiting at the end of the narrow aisle, holding a stack of folded white cloth. The dark-skinned guard reached over Yami's shoulder and pulled open a narrow door tucked against the wall and the smell of urine once again flooded Yami's senses.

He suppressed a gag and felt his eyes water painfully as the guard shoved him into the tiny room, pressing the stack of cloth against his chest before slamming the door forcefully in his face.

A tiny yellow light flickered on in the room and Yami stared at the bathroom seat. He relieved himself quickly and realized the stack of white cloth was a change of clothes!

Yami changed hastily, feeling the white linen scratch against his skin uncomfortably. It was a simple shirt, paired with matching shorts, but just plain white.

 _Odd_ , Yami thought darkly, _I don't want to get dirty._

He stared at himself in the mirror for a long time, staring at the streaks of grime and dirt running down the sides of his neck. Disgusted, Yami reached his hands into the sink for water and gently palmed the water along his neck, trying to wash the dirt off himself.

It was no use. The dirt seemed to cling to his skin.

There was a loud banging on the door, causing Yami to jump.  
The door was pulled open quickly and he was yanked out by the thin man with slitted eyes. A cold, wet towel was pressed into his face and Yami felt his eyes sting as the water slipped into his eyes.

Was this cloth for cleaning himself? Yami pressed the cloth into his face and felt the guard's hand leave the towel. He quickly rubbed the cold towel over his face, neck and arms, feeling goosebumps rise as the air got suddenly cold around his wet skin.

Yami shivered and wiped his legs too, watching the towel turn a nasty dark grey color. Those beds were so disgusting...! The towel was snatched out of his hands and he was given another. Yami nodded and repeated the process, rubbing the wet fabric over his skin, even managing to slip it up his shirt to clean his chest.

As he dragged the towel down over his legs again, he realized his shoes had been changed. They were just plain, white canvas shoes, but it made Yami angry, knowing that things were done to his body when he was not conscious, even if it was just a change of clothes and shoes.

He shivered again when he remembered the nameless boy's words of advice, about being deeply drugged and waking up never knowing who did what to his body.

 _That will never happen to me,_ Yami vowed darkly. He tried reaching around to clean his back, but the towel was forcefully yanked out of his grasp.

Yami bit his lip and felt his fingers sting and burn as the fabric rubbed violently across his skin too quickly. He glared at the slitted-eyed guard who was pointedly ignoring him. Disgruntled, Yami hugged himself protectively, suddenly feeling very cold, but at least now, he was now somewhat clean.

The only parts of him that wasn't clean...was...Yami swallowed and shuffled his feet uncomfortably, trying not to think about it too much.

Suddenly, there was a rough jolt as the plane's wheels hit the ground and bounced heavily, the sound was rushing louder than ever now, and Yami lost his balance, stumbling straight into the dark-skinned guard who shoved him away ferociously.

He tripped backwards from the force of the guard's push fell over a row of empty seats, his head spinning, the plastic handles from the seats bruising along the base of his spine.

Yami felt his eyes began to water and he composed himself, standing shakily once more, trembling with humiliation. He hated these guards. Even though they didn't speak, they were still evil.

He heard the slitted-eyed guard laugh at him from somewhere behind him, and Yami tried his best to ignore it, his face burning with loathing and embarrassment. The plane hit the ground loudly and slowed to a full stop, the sudden quiet caused Yami's ears to ring.

The men grabbed him simultaneously, one gripping each arm, dragging him out from between the seats and marching him forwards through the narrow aisle.

They were here! This was where he could start planning his escape! Yami felt very dizzy, but he kept his eyes peeled as the guards led him down a flight of really tall, white stairs.

The morning light was blinding, and it hurt to look at anything around him. Yami blinked and blinked, allowing his eyes to adjust.

Once they reached the bottom stair, the dark-skinned guard spoke for the first time, "If you try to run, you will get a bullet in your back. You will die slowly and painfully, or, if I am lucky with my shot, you will be alive, but paralyzed and forced to lie in a hospital bed all your life, so much that you will yearn for death. Do you understand?"

 _A well-rehearsed threat_ , Yami thought faintly, his ears still ringing as he nodded fearfully.

The guards led him off the stairs and Yami stepped onto solid pavement. He looked around them curiously. They now stood on an empty expanse of concrete, with other planes sitting in the distance, and Yami wondered how often the guard followed up on that threat.

Had he actually shot anyone before? Where could he even run to? The area was so wide and vast, it was like he was standing on a concrete ocean.

A black, nondescript vehicle pulled up right in front of them and guard with slitted eyes opened the back door and sat inside first. The dark-skinned guard gave him a push and Yami's legs wobbled weakly as he climbed in, watching the muscular guard get in behind him closely and shut the door heavily.

The slitted-eyed guard spoke a few words of a strange language to the driver and the car started to move. Yami gripped his knees tightly, his fear consuming him bit by bit as the car turned a corner and pulled out onto a busy main road. Other cards zipped by noisily, and Yami tried not to jump every time he thought he saw a car whizz by too closely.

Gigantic green signs with the odd swirls and slashes whizzed by over their heads. There were even buildings that seemed to touched the sky with their pointed tips. The slashes and curls of the foreign language flashed back at him in a multitude of colors.

Everything seemed to sparkle, and Yami felt his breath leave his body. He hadn't seen the sky for days! This was such a beautiful country! Surely, he could have hope that his owner was not a terrible person..! More signs flashed by and the nameless boy's words echoed painfully in Yami's head again.

 _"You will not be able to read or speak the language, but listen when people speak! Everything will be different, so remember roads and signs, try to learn how to read the language._ "

I will pay attention to every syllable that leaves everyone's mouth, Yami vowed, gripping his knees so tightly his nails left imprints upon his skin.

The man on his left spoke in the strange language again, it sounded like he was talking in a waterfall. There were too many sounds and they all mixed together...! Yami's fear began to rise again. Learning a language was easier said that done.

The car turned down another road and began to slow down. This street was much quieter this time...and it was surrounded by trees. The tall buildings were gone and they drove for quite some time on the tree-lined road. Suddenly, the a small white house appeared in Yami's vision. It was far off in the distance...it looked like they were going there!

He glanced around nervously. There seemed to be no one around. It was just trees and large fields of grass. As they got closer, Yami realized it wasn't a tiny house at all. In fact, it was monstrous.

A lump rose up in his throat as the car slowed to a stop by a large black gate with spikes at the top. Probably...to prevent thieves and intruders, Yami thought nervously, but deep down, he knew it was probably to prevent him from escaping further.

The snake-like guard beside him rolled the window down and pressed a round white button on a small box with thin lines going across it.

There was a soft static coming from the box as he spoke the strange language. He released the button and there was nothing but silence.

Isono was in the living room dusting the mantel when he heard the front doorbell chime. He glanced at his watch, realizing it was 6:30 AM. Who could it be, at this early hour?! He sniffed and hurried to the intercom by the door, "State your business."

The snake-like guard pressed the button again and another voice came garbling out of it. Yami tried his hardest to listen.

"We have a delivery, for an expensive product, ordered from this address." A gruff male voice responded through the speaker.

Isono frowned and pulled up the camera feed on the screen beside the door. It was a black car with a foreign badge, and the man speaking into the intercom looked like ...Yakuza.

Isono began to sweat nervously, "We did not order anything. Please leave."

Had Master Kaiba done something to anger the local Yakuza? Impossible! He would have been notified of such behavior.

"The purchase came from this address. We were instructed to hand it directly to the owner and no one else. Let us in, or we will be forced to sit out here until you open the gate." The man growled, and with that, he leaned back in his seat and rolled up his window.

Isono hesitated and then pressed the buzzer, unlocking the gate. What on earth had Mr. Kaiba purchased? Something from the Yakuza? Was this in retaliation to the matchmaking?

Yami was so terrified, his palms were sweating into his knees. What was going on?! The guard sounded angry.

Suddenly, the black spiked gate in front of them started to open, panning inwards.

 _It's so tall and looks so threatening,_ Yami thought as he shivered.

There was another long road leading towards the large, white house, which was also surrounded by tall pointed trees. The front area by the house was was lined with bright green bushes. Little pink flowers dotted the rounded shrubs and Yami felt a strange emotion rise up in his chest.

It was too beautiful. Things couldn't possibly be as terrible as the nameless boy described! Yami shook his head, refusing to believe it.

He would carve himself out a new life here, in this beautiful house, with it's beautiful flowers and trees, even if his owner turned out to be fat and disgusting.

The car pulled around by a large bubbling fountain, built with an elegant patterned stone. The water was so blue and clear, Yami had to blink twice to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

His guards got out of the car and stood by the doors, leaving Yami sitting inside, alone. He was no longer being held so he could choose which side to exit from.  
He chose climb out through dark-skinned guard's side, nervously smoothing his shirt down over his shorts as he stood on the bright pavement.

They climbed up the steps towards the large house and the slitted-eyed guard rung the doorbell. It echoed so loudly and for so long, Yami was amazed. The inside of the house must be... _enormous!_

There was a loud, ominous clack as the lock turned and a thin, greying man answered the door, bowing.

 _A servant?!_ Yami thought frantically, his mouth drying out. The first face he would see in this house was a servant's face! His owner was definitely a fat pig like the nameless boy had described!

Isono's gaze swept over the strange company that stood at the door.

On the far left was a foreigner with dark skin and bulging muscles. On the right, was the Yakuza, his arms folded in front of him stiffly, glaring right past him and...Isono glanced down at the foreigner in the middle.  
It was a teenage boy, with a lightly tanned skin, who seemed to be only a bit younger than Master Kaiba.

"We don't hand off to servants. Masters only." The Yakuza spoke shortly, and Isono began to sweat as he could see a bit of ink peeking out from beneath the cuff of the man's suit. What was the product and where was it...?

"I can manage it quite well myself, "Isono said carefully, scanning driveway behind them, eyeing the dark car with a foreign badge.  
Was it the car? Had Master Kaiba bought another car in his drunken rage last night?

"No servants. Masters. Only." The Yakuza repeated stiffly, glaring intensely.

Isono dipped his head down politely, his blood running cold as he noticed the guns bulging on the men's belts. "I will confirm and return."  
And he shut the door in their faces, almost slamming it. He made sure to lock it again before rushing frantically into the kitchen where Seto sat tiredly, sipping a cup of coffee, reading the paper casually.

"M-Mr. Kaiba!" Isono gasped, "Your delivery is here..!"

Seto didn't look up from the paper, "What delivery."

"Perhaps you purchased...a car...or a package of sorts. There are men at the door insisting they hand it to you directly." Isono stammered, "One man is clearly Yakuza and they have...guns."

"What?" Seto snapped, setting his coffee cup down so quickly it almost spilled. He didn't remember ordering anything to be delivered personally, much less have it come from gangsters carrying firearms. "Is this a prank? Are the guns real?"

"I'm not sure...it might be. Have you made someone angry recently?" Isono mumbled, bobbing his head, "They won't leave, until they speak with you."

"I can't remember every single person I piss off," Kaiba said furiously, standing up and accompanying Isono to the door.  
Who the fuck did he piss off so badly that they sent Yakuza to his door?

Yami was shaking so much he couldn't stand still. What was taking the owner so long to get to the door? Was he or she was even older and fatter than the nameless boy's owner? Perhaps he _did_ have a good chance of escaping if the owner was slow!

He crossed and uncrossed his arms while shuffling his feet and the dark-skinned guard gave him a hard nudge. Yami stopped fidgeting and froze as he heard the lock click from behind the door again.

Kaiba watched as Isono fumbled the lock open and pull the door open slowly.

Yami's breath caught in his throat and his chest constricted painfully when he laid his eyes on the most beautiful man he had ever seen. He was very tall and slender, with light brown hair that seemed to sparkle in the morning sunlight. His skin was so pale it seemed to glow. His eyes were the color of the sky, and his features were sharp and handsome.

Yami couldn't stop staring but he forced himself to look away when the nameless boy's voice echoed through his mind.

" _Good-looking rich people are the worst! I would be treated the worst by the most handsome men I've ever seen! They would pay him money, and rent me for their sex parties...!"_

Yami clenched his fists tightly at his sides as he stared down at the tips of handsome man's shiny shoes. His owner was a man!

This man...is my owner, Yami thought miserably, biting back tears of humiliation which threatened to spill out from his eyes at any moment. Is he going to do _that_ sort of thing with me? What is a sex party?!

Yami swallowed dryly, forcing himself to remain composed.  
He had to be ready, somehow.  
He had to run...could he run now?

Yami looked up tentatively and noticed the handsome man's eyes had narrowed at both of his guards.

The first thing Seto saw when Isono pulled the door back was an extremely muscular dark-skinned man, his hand on his belt, toting what looked like a very real-looking gun.

Seto nervously glanced over to the other man in the suit, who had taken a wide-legged stance with his arms folded in front of him. The end of a what looked like a koi's tail was peeking out from over his wrist.

 _Oh..shit. He might actually be Yakuza_ , Seto thought fearfully as he glanced down at the foreigner standing between them.

His gaze trailed over the boy's small frame, taking in his oddly spiked hair and olive skin. Seto eyes lingered over the boy's face and felt his throat closing up he recognized the angular violet eyes he'd seen on his computer screen, three days ago.

How was this possible?!  
Horrified, Seto made a huge effort to keep his face neutral as he folded his arms and glared at the men, "I didn't order anything."

But the men were already walking away, leaving the boy standing there on the step, looking extremely frightened.

Isono began to sweat visibly and Seto opened the door wider to step forwards. "Why are you leaving this boy here?!" He called loudly, trying to keep the panic from rising in his voice.

The men were already standing by the car doors and the Yakuza turned to give him a dirty look, "Don't shit me. You got what you paid for. Now we are leaving. Open the gate." He glanced at his dark-skinned partner who nodded and ducked down into the car first.

Isono's eyes widened. The product was...this boy?! He coughed heavily and looked over at Kaiba, who seemed equally as horrified, and possibly, a little scared.

"Mr. Kaiba..." Isono said softly, trying to pull him back into the house. If this was a prank from someone Kaiba had pissed off, it was better the men with guns left their property first.

Seto wasn't listening. "Take him back!" he shouted at the Yakuza, his heart thudding frantically in his chest as he watched the man glare at him, "I didn't pay for this..." _Person!_ Seto finished angrily in his head.

"The address for delivery was here!" The Yakuza spat viciously, and Yami could see the little flecks of spit fly from his mouth as he shouted at the handsome man in the foreign language, "We will not return with him! That is against our policy. Open the damn gate!"

And he got into the backseat of the car angrily, slamming the door shut as the car peeled away towards the black gate.

Isono quickly pressed the gate buzzer beside the door, eager to be rid of the men.

Yami trembled and shook, feeling so queasy he thought he might wet himself. It hadn't been two minutes of him standing here and the owner was already yelling at his guards.

The nameless boy's advice was ringing true...every word, down to every letter.

Rich, good-looking men were the worst! What would become of him if he entered the house?

Seto stood very still, his fists tightly clenched at his sides. He could feel the sweat pooling in the palms of his hands. He hadn't really paid for this boy, had he?! He would have been notified if such a large amount of money came out of his account all at once...unless he muted the notification himself.  
How drunk was he that night?!

"Mr. Kaiba..." Isono said shakily, "Let's come inside, quickly."

Yami blinked and took several deep breaths, hearing the servant repeat the same sounds again. " _Mr. Kaiba_ " was either a phrase to reassure the owner, or it was the owner's name.

Seto stepped back into the house and stared down at the slender boy, who was looking at the floor with a dazed expression. He seemed to be less afraid now that his handlers were gone.

"Come inside." Seto said shortly, and he walked away, heading straight for his laptop which was sitting on the kitchen counter. His mind began to race frantically as he tried to recall the website link and name. He needed to send this boy away as soon as possible.

Yami watched as the owner said something quickly and turned away from him. The owner was getting farther and farther away, and the servant coughed.  
Was he supposed to go inside?  
No. He would not!  
He could run...now!

Yami turned and sprinted down the steps, running past the bubbling fountain, his eyes burning as he fixed them firmly on the black gate. His feet were hitting the concrete heavily as his canvas shoes rubbed painfully into his toes.  
The shoes were not made for running; if anything they were making him slower!

Yami's heart sank as he realized the gate had been closed again. He decided he would climb it, because his life depended on it.

"Oh..my..!" Isono cried, and he called over his shoulder, "Master Kaiba, the boy is running away!"

Seto was halfway across the kitchen and he froze the second he heard this. That...would be ...bad. That boy was probably in this country illegally!  
He would get into so much trouble if the boy's existence on his property was discovered by the paparazzi!

"Shit..!" Seto cursed under his breath just as Mokuba stepped into the kitchen.

"Hi Seto...what-" Mokuba watched as Seto dashed out of the kitchen and rushed towards the doorway. "What is going on..?!" He called at his older brother's shadow which had disappeared out the front door.

Seto strode out into his driveway, looking around frantically.

"He's by the gate!" Isono cried, pointing a shaking finger.

Seto set his teeth and strode across his property, watching the boy grab the bars with his tanned, slender arms, attempting to climb it.

Yami saw a thin shadow approaching him from behind and his desperation rose. The bars were too slippery and he was too weak!

A cold hand wrapped around his wrist and dragged him away from the gate.

NO! Yami thought, terrified, as he struggled and twisted, but the owner was too strong. His feet slid across the pavement as the owner forcibly marched him forwards. Yami tried to pry the owner's hand off his wrist, but it was to no avail.

He also couldn't help but stare at how the owner's nails, which were very shiny and shaped like almonds. Yami stopped struggling immediately as soon as he saw this and allowed himself to be led forwards, staring at the owner's fingers, a strange feeling curling in his chest.

Was every part of this man ...beautiful?!

Seto felt the boy stop struggling as they reached the stairs and he tried to calm his pounding heart. The boy's wrist was so thin but his skin was soft...!

Isono held the door open for them and Seto slowed his pace, making sure the boy stepped over the bevel in the doorway before continuing to pull him inside.

Yami realized the owner allowed him walk through the doorway on his own, and he felt slightly better about being inside now, even if the owner was still gripping him tightly. Once the door closed behind him, the owner let go of his hand and walked away without looking at him once.

"What shall we do with him?" Isono asked, frowning at the boy who was wavering fearfully on the doormat.

Seto turned and wrinkled his nose, "Give him a bath. He looks filthy. And he probably traveled a long way...he might appreciate it."

Isono nodded, "Anything else?"

Yami felt himself beginning to tremble again as the owner and his servant began speaking in the strange language again. He risked a look around, realizing that the house was beautiful.  
There was a large crystal chandelier hanging above his head and plush, white cushions were placed elegantly on the seats everywhere. Even the floor was white and shiny! Everything around the owner seemed to have a glow, and Yami realized he was looking at pure wealth.

Yami swallowed, his nervousness rising quickly as the nameless boy's voice shot through his mind once more.

" _You won't even be special in their eyes. You're just a new toy ready to be played with and then thrown away when they're bored. They might even have more than one toy!"_

His terror rose even further when the handsome owner spoke and looked at him distastefully with cold blue eyes, wrinkling his nose. Yami was rooted to the spot, unable to breathe.

 _He doesn't even like me!_ Yami realized. _He looked at me like I'm dirty!_

Suddenly, a young boy came running out of another room, his long black hair streaming behind him. He stopped suddenly and stood against the frame of the other room, staring at Yami with wide eyes.

"Who is this?" Mokuba asked incredulously, blinking at Yami, taking in his tanned skin and spiky hair. A foreigner? What country was this boy from?! Africa?

"Go back up to your room, Mokuba." Seto said tensely, "And don't worry about it."

 _Am I going to be a replacement toy...in the place of this boy?!_ Yami thought, stricken, trying to guess the dark-haired boy's age _. This one is young! About as young as the nameless boy!_

"Is..he..eating breakfast with us?" Mokuba asked, his voice shaking a little, still unable to tear his gaze away from the spiky-haired boy, who was blinking slowly back at him with large, violet eyes.  
His eyes were pretty...but, scary. Mokuba had never seen anyone with eyes shaped like that before.

Yami watched as the boy exchange words with the owner, sounding nervous.

"Why don't we ask him," Seto replied tiredly, turning to the foreign boy, "Are you hungry?"

Yami trembled as the owner addressed him in their strange language, his blue eyes piercing through his entire body, making him feel cold all over.

He shook his head, hoping that would suffice as an answer.

"Oh, okay." Mokuba said simply, "Can I at least know his name and how long he's going to be here?"

Seto nodded and turned to head back into the kitchen, eyeing his laptop which sat innocently on the counter top, "Go ahead and ask him. I'm going to be busy."

"What's your name?" Mokuba asked, looking suspiciously at Yami. "What country are you from?"

Isono cleared his throat politely, "Young Mokuba, that is not a polite first question."

Yami watched as the young boy gave him a dark look and spoke to him in an accusing tone.

Terrified, Yami shook his head again.

The boy frowned deeply at him and spoke once more and Yami shook his head for the third time. Was the boy asking if he was a threat? Did he want to steal the attention of his owner? No, he wanted nothing to do with his owner! Yami shook and shook his head as the boy's frown deepened.

"Seto!" Mokuba shouted, "I think you better come quick."

Seto didn't move from his place on the kitchen counter. He was too busy trying to access his accounts, desperately waiting for his bank information to be verified on the screen, wondering if he did pay for this boy. "What, Mokuba."

"I-I don't think he understands Japanese..!" Mokuba cried shrilly, pointing at Yami.

"Young Mokuba, you're frightening the boy." Isono said sternly, watching as Yami's shoulders shook with every breath he took.

Seto grit his teeth and shut the lid of his laptop, stepping out into hallway once more,  
"He understands. He shook his head when I asked if he was hungry. You saw."  
He would check the accounts later in the privacy of his bedroom upstairs. He couldn't risk Mokuba seeing anything.

"No, no! Watch," Mokuba said frantically, inching out from behind the kitchen door to get closer to Yami, "Hey, what's your name?"

Yami tensed, watching as the boy pointed accusingly at him and steadily move a few steps closer, speaking to him in a questioning tone.  
Yami shook his head again. No, I am not here to steal your owner!

"Well maybe he doesn't want to tell you his name." Seto growled, turning away again, feeling irritated.

"But, Seto! Wait, look!" Mokuba said, as he turned to address the boy, "Do you like animals? What's your favorite color? Is the sky blue?"

Yami stared at the boy who kept speaking to him, looking slightly afraid. Yami just shook his head continuously.

 _I am not here to take attention away from you! I can be invisible! I don't want your owner!_ Yami thought frantically.

"See?" Mokuba said slowly, "His answer can't be "no" for all of that!"

 _Oh..shit._ Seto thought numbly as he stared at the spiky-haired teen. He repeated Mokuba's question, "Is the sky blue?"

Yami heard the owner address him again while looking at him strangely. What was going on?!

 _No! My answer for everything is no!_ Yami thought viciously, shaking his head at the owner.

"Oh dear." Isono said simply, stepping forwards beside Kaiba to better observe the foreign boy.

There was a long silence and Seto spoke up first, addressing Mokuba, "Get back up to your room, now."

"Why?!" Mokuba cried, "I wanna know what's going to happen to him! Can you fly him back?!"

"Mokuba..." Seto sighed and rubbed his temples, "We don't know where he came from, or if he might be dangerous."

Yami looked between the owner and his toy, who was yelling back at him boldly. The boy's name was probably Mokuba. He heard the servant say it, and he heard the owner say it, multiple times.

Mokuba, Yami repeated in his head, Mokuba.

"He doesn't...look..dangerous." Mokuba said uncertainly.

"Just go back up to your room, please!" Seto said, raising his voice slightly. He was _so_ tired and he just wanted to figure this shit out, alone.

"Fine!" Mokuba shouted back at him and he brushed past the foreigner roughly, his shoulder bumping purposely into him. He stormed up the stairs,stomping loudly and slammed the door to his room.

Yami felt the boy shoulder him roughly and his body went numb. Great. His one potential friend in the house hated him.

Yami was breathing very shallowly, afraid if he inhaled too loudly, he would get into trouble. The owner had just shouted at Mokuba and Mokuba went upstairs, angry. Mokuba was most definitely another toy the owner had purchased. But he wasn't hit for shouting back, which was perhaps... a good sign?

"Isono..." Seto said slowly, rubbing his temples as he felt a slight headache coming on, "Please find out what he likes to eat. Prepare a wide array of food and drink. I'll run him a bath in the guest room upstairs."

"Yes, right away." Isono said seriously, bowing and ducking quickly into the kitchen.

Seto gestured for the foreigner to follow him up the grand staircase. The olive-skinned boy just stood there and blinked at him.

 _Okay, this is the universal sign for '_ come here' _right?_ Seto thought angrily, gesturing towards him again, pointing upwards.

Yami watched as the owner glared and pointed up to the top of the stairs above them. Did he have to follow? Did he have a choice? He had already seen Mokuba irritate the owner, and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of a punishment.

Sighing, Seto reached down and grabbed the boy's wrist again, feeling him tense up. _Come on..!_ Seto thought as he tugged and walked up the stairs, praying the boy would at least get the message and follow him up so he wouldn't have to be dragged.

It was too early in the goddamn morning for this shit.

Yami swallowed and carefully followed the owner up the stairs, feeling his feet sink into the carpet deeply. He was led into a large, brightly lit room with many doors on the walls around them. Instantly curious, Yami stared at each door, counting five in total, wondering if they led to other rooms.

The owner let go of him, leaving him standing in the middle of the room as he disappeared behind another door.

Yami blinked and eyed at the large bed in the corner of the room. His gaze traveled across the room to a black circle rug with a long brown table sitting on top of it. A very white, plush couch was facing the table and Yami felt the filth on his skin piling up higher just by looking at all of the whiteness surrounding him.

He itched all over and still felt like he reeked of urine from the disgusting beds in the moldy room. Shuddering and hugging himself tightly, Yami wished he was cleaner.

Everything in this house was sparkling, white, and pretty. He was everything but.

Suddenly Yami heard a loud rushing coming from behind the door from where his owner had disappeared.  
Water! He was being given water privileges! Yami was excited for moment before his heart sank once more as the nameless boy's advice echoed unpleasantly in his mind.

" _When you first arrive, he will insist you clean yourself. After you've cleaned yourself, he will spread you and dirty you._ "

Yami felt his skin crawl. That would NOT happen! He would protect his hole at all costs. Yami turned to look behind him, realizing the door was open.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Seto's mind was racing so fast all this thoughts were jumbling together. He watched the water swirl around in the marble tub, adding a handful of salt into the bath, thinking the scent might help the boy relax.

He still hadn't had a chance to check his accounts to see if he had actually paid for the boy. How would he confirm that this was even the person from the picture?! He could barely remember the hands and feet from the photos!

Seto angrily mixed the salt into the water quickly, watching it dissolve. What's more, the person turned out to be a boy! Seto vowed to never drink and browse the internet again as he shut the water off and dried his hands on a towel.

He walked out into the room and realized the boy was gone.

 _Oh my fucking shit,_ Seto thought angrily, _Did he try to run out the door again?! No, because Isono would have heard him-he's right by the door in the kitchen._

"Isono!" Seto called, fulling knowing Isono couldn't hear him, "Have you see the boy?"

 _He must still be in the room_ , Seto realized, his eyes searching the carpet for signs of disturbance.

Yami was under the bed, holding his breath as he watched the owner's feet walk past the bed. _  
I'll just hide around this enormous house and steal food_ , Yami thought as his heart thudded loudly in his chest.

Seto circled the bed quietly. He had a sneaking suspicion the boy was underneath it. Mokuba used to do this a lot when they were kids; it was either the closet or the bed.

Was the boy playing around or was he actually scared?

Yami let out a sigh of relief when the saw the footsteps of the owner disappear behind him. He heard a door slide open and shut and he tensed, waiting.

Did the owner leave through one of the various other doors in the room?

Seto peeked into the closet and shut it quickly. There was nothing and no one inside. The boy with violet eyes was definitely under the bed.

Seto hummed lightly to himself...How did he want to do this? Drag him out by the ankles or confront him by ducking down underneath?He waked quickly over to the bedroom door and closed it, making sure to lock it loudly.

Yami felt a cold trickle of horror pan across his chest as he heard the owner lock the door. He tensed anxiously, listening and waiting, knowing he was in trouble.  
The owner knew he was under the bed.

Seto walked quickly back over to the bed and carefully eased himself over the top of the mattress, laying down across the sheets on his stomach.

Then, he hung his head heavily down over the side, peering down underneath the bed.

Yami held his breath, listening to an odd creaking sound above him. Suddenly, the owner's handsome face appeared right in front of him, upside down, with his light brown hair hanging off his forehead, almost grazing the white carpet.

Yami gasped and jerked back, the top of his head hitting against the bed frame painfully. He bit his tongue to keep himself from crying out as his eyes watered; little silver stars were dotting the corners of his vision. This owner was smart...which meant, he needed to be smarter.

Smiling in spite of himself, Seto slid off the bed and reached a hand down to help the boy out from underneath the bed.

Yami inched away from the owner's hand, shaking his head vigorously. The owner was smiling gently...too gently. He was in trouble for sure. He was going to be punished.

Seto waited for a hand to touch his, but when nothing happened, he frowned. Was this kid serious?! The bath was getting cold! Did he not want a bath? Did he not know he was practically a walking germ?

"Come on," Seto spoke gently, tapping on the mattress heavily, showing him he was impatient.

Yami heard the owner hit the mattress heavily, twice. _Come, out._

 _God, please help me,_ Yami prayed, _I am so alone and afraid...!_

Suddenly, a pair of cold hands wrapped around his ankles and Yami felt fear shoot through him like a knife.

"No..! Please! Don't hurt me!" Yami cried, his fingernails sliding across the carpet as his owner dragged him out from underneath the bed. A strong arm lifted him off the ground and Yami felt the breath whoosh out of his lungs at the sudden amount of force the owner used to pick him up.

Yami thought the owner felt too strong for such a slender person!

"Please..!" Yami begged as the owner dragged him across the room and threw him into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door in his face with an angry click.

Seto leaned heavily against the door on the other side, exhausted. This kid, was going back to wherever the fuck he came from the second he figured out how to send him back.

He had finally heard the boy speak, but not enough to pick up on what language it was. Maybe he needed to hire a linguist and a translator...

The silence of the bathroom surrounded Yami heavily as he stood in the middle of the luxurious room, feeling very alone. The light echo from the sploshing water gently hitting against the edge of the tub sounded so...warm..and welcoming.

 _No..!_ Yami thought, horrified. _He's making me clean myself_ , _so he can dirty my hole right after!_

Yami sat down on the floor stubbornly, crossing his arms and legs, trying his hardest to ignore the sweet scent of honey and milk coming from the bathwater.

 _If I am not clean, he cannot dirty me_ , Yami thought darkly. _I can stop it from happening. Even if every single word of the nameless boy's advice rings true, I can help myself by doing nothing._

Seto leaned his ear towards the door, listening for sounds of bathing, and when he heard none, he became concerned. He knocked lightly on the door, wondering if the boy had fallen asleep in the water.

Yami heard the two knocks and he hugged his knees to his chest even tighter, trying not to feel or think about anything. Would being spread by this owner hurt as much as the nameless boy claimed it would?  
And would it feel disgusting? Like it did when all the other men touched him?!  
Yami bit the inside of his lip, trying very hard not to inhale the filthy scent wafting up from his own skin. He didn't want to find out.

Suddenly, the door opened behind him and Yami heard the owner step into the bathroom.

Terrified, Yami hunched up tighter, bracing himself to be hit across the head.

Seto watched as the boy flinched and hunched on the floor, his slender shoulders shaking and trembling. Seto felt a sudden rush of dizziness overcome him, his head spinning violently as he recognized this pose.

An unpleasant memory suddenly resurfaced as Seto remembered he would act like this anytime Gozaburo threatened to beat him.

This boy was expecting to be hit.  
He was bracing himself, legs tight up against his chest, arms up, protecting his head.

 _Ohh...shit...!_ Seto thought fearfully as he backed out of the bathroom shakily and closed the door softly behind him. This boy had probably been physically and psychologically abused. The site claimed he was a virgin, which could be true...you could be hit and beaten, and still be a virgin.

Fuck! Seto cursed, his headache growing as his chest tightened painfully. He sat down heavily on the other side of the door, feeling nauseous. This was a bad situation. He should probably call a doctor before calling a translator.

There was a soft knock at the door and Isono walked in, looking worried, "I see you've decided to lock this door Mr. Kaiba. The food has all been prepared downstairs, and there is a variety, as you requested...Are you alright?"

Seto stood shakily and fished his cell phone out of his pocket, "I need to call a doctor, for the boy."

"Is he hurt?" Isono asked, frowning.

"Not anywhere that I can see. But maybe...underneath his clothes.." Seto responded, his voice threatening to choke the air out of him. This was going to be a shitty day. He might even need to take the day off just to deal with his fucking mistake.

Isono nodded gravely and watched Seto dial the family doctor. Seto spoke quietly, hastily hanging up after a few polite words.

"Now, what do we do?" Isono asked darkly, looking towards the closed bathroom door.

"Let's try to get him to eat." Seto said stiffly, "I will be staying home today, to take care of this matter."

Isono nodded, "I will be right back."

"Bring sweet things!" Seto called at Isono's retreating back. He sighed and stared at the bathroom door, wondering what the boy was doing now.

Yami had his ear to the door, listening as the owner talked in hushed whispers with the manservant. Was he in trouble? Yami sighed and stared at the water. He walked over to the edge of the beautiful tub and dipped his hand in longingly.

Oh, how he ached to be clean! The water was hot and it smelled absolutely lovely.

Yami breathed deeply, trying to cleanse his lungs and drown out his fear with the sweet scent of milk and honey, willing himself not to cry.

Another two knocks sounded at the door and the owner stepped into the bathroom, looking at him with a strange expression. Yami glared at him, quickly withdrawing his hand away from the water and hiding it behind his back. He had been caught touching the water! Now, the owner must think he wanted a bath...!

Yami watched as the handsome owner nodded at him encouragingly and gestured for him to get into the bathtub.

No. Yami thought stubbornly, and he folded his arms across his chest, looking directly into the owner's clear blue eyes. The owner nodded and motioned for him to walk out into the room.

Yami hesitated, then followed, wondering if he had been forgiven. The owner didn't seem angry at all, which was a relief, but also concerning.

Yami stifled a gasp as he watched the manservant arrange several large plates and trays of sparkling fruits, candy, and cakes on the low, brown table.

The manservant stood and bowed, leaving the room quickly.  
Yami heard the door lock click again.

These sweets..! Yami's mouth began to water as he eyed the pink peach sparkling at him from the bowl of freshly sliced apples and oranges. You couldn't poison fruit, right? The nameless boy had not specified what kind of food his owner had drugged him with, just that it was...food.

His eyes lingered over the soft cakes with tiny strawberries sitting on top of perfectly swirled white cream and Yami swallowed thickly. He had never seen cake that looked so rolls of bread were cut into perfectly thin slices and several dishes of jam were laid out neatly beside it.

Yami counted seven different colors of jam, and his head began to spin. He hadn't eaten anything in four days! Or was it five days?! He had lost his count of days on the plane ride.

"Eat, please." Seto said, watching the boy eye the peach. He picked it up and handed it to him. He saw boy's beautiful violet eyes widen with fear as he visibly swallowed.

Why didn't this kid want to eat? He was obviously starved. Did those handlers starve him on purpose?

Shaking the thought out of his mind, Seto managed a smile and held the peach up to the boy's nose, knowing he could smell it.

Yami trembled as he restrained himself with an immense effort as the light scent from the peach passed under his nose. _No, I cannot! The food is all drugged. He just asked me to clean myself, and when I refused, he is bribing me with food! This has to be drugged! This owner is smart! He knows...!_

Yami shook his head and looked away pointedly, his heart thudding loudly in his ears.

 _Wow, okay_. Seto thought, feeling increasingly more frustrated. _He's dirty but doesn't want to bathe, he's hungry but doesn't want to eat. Is he damaged in the head?!_

There was an echoing ring that cascaded around the house and Yami jumped. The doorbell sounded like a church bell!

 _Ah, there's the doctor._ Seto thought darkly as he set the peach back down into the bowl. He strode out the door, making sure to close and lock it firmly behind him.

Yami let out the breath he had been holding the entire time. Did this house receive many guests? Perhaps, because you were rich, you probably had a lot of friends..?

Yami had no idea and he was too hungry to care. He stared longingly at the low table, laden high with sweets. He cursed the sparkling peach, feeling himself shrivel up inside. If he followed the nameless boy's advice, he would survive, because everything was happening exactly the way he said it would.

Downstairs, Seto stood behind Isono, watching as he pulled the door open to let the doctor into the house. The man stepped inside, wearing his usual white coat and gentle smile, carrying his briefcase of medical supplies and instruments.

"Please excuse the intrusion," The doctor said, bowing deeply and Seto noticed the doctor's hair had gotten a little more grey. It had been a while since he had seen this man.

"Welcome. You're always welcome in my home, Dr. Aki." Seto said quietly, bowing back stiffly and straightening up immediately, "Thank you for coming so quickly. I deeply appreciate it."

"Yes, no need to be so formal," The doctor's eyes twinkled kindly at Seto, "Mr. Aki is just fine. I'll always be Mr. Aki no matter how old you get, Kaiba-kun. And what seems to be the problem? You were not very clear on the phone."

Seto swallowed nodded, waiting for Isono to fully close the door before speaking, "There is a foreigner upstairs, who does not understand any Japanese. He may have been abused before arriving in this country, and if it's not too much trouble, could you run a blood test and a brain scan?"

The doctor nodded and slipped out a pair of white cotton gloves from his pocket, "What is the nationality of this foreigner? I do know some English...not much...but some."

"He does not speak English." Seto said quickly, "He's not like any foreigner I've ever seen." And he felt Isono nod in agreement beside him.

"I see." Mr. Aki said slowly, wrapping a mask around his face, hooking the thin bands behind his ears. "Anything else I should know before I see him?"

Seto looked carefully over at Isono before speaking, "He...refuses to bathe and eat, even though he is visibly very hungry and dirty. I'm not quite sure what to do. I can't seem to communicate with him through hand motions either. I wonder...if he may have been hit in the head too many times." Seto swallowed and felt an overwhelming sense of nausea pool in his chest.

"I see." Mr. Aki repeated, nodding, as the cotton mask muffed his voice. "Shall we head up now, Kaiba-kun? I can take the blood today, and rush the lab results to your desk. As for the brain scan, we'll have to see."

Seto nodded and stepped past the doctor, leading him up the grand staircase with Isono following closely behind them.

As they passed Mokuba's room, the younger Kaiba peeked his head out through the door and lit up when he saw the family doctor.

"Mr. Aki!" Mokuba cried happily.

The doctor turned and nodded solemnly at Mokuba and Mokuba gripped the door handle tightly, suddenly feeling very nervous. The doctor was here to see the strange boy...was everything okay?

"Back inside until I say so, Mokuba, please." Seto said sternly, and Mokuba ducked his head down, his face burning. He wanted to know what was happening too!

"Fine." He mumbled and he shut the door to his room heavily, indicating that he was not happy about the arrangement.

"He is a good child," Mr. Aki said, his voice heavily muffled and he gestured to the door handle, "After you, Kaiba-kun."

Seto nodded, his anxiety rising as he unlocked the door and led the doctor into the room.

Yami whirled around as the door clicked and swung open behind him.  
The owner was standing in the doorway with another strange man wearing a long, white coat and a white mask, which was covering his nose and mouth. His white gloved hands were carrying a small metal briefcase.

Yami's heart stopped in his chest and he backed away from the door, glancing around the room frantically, looking for a place to hide. This masked man was a doctor! He was sure of it. What had the nameless boy said about doctors?

" _My owner would abuse my hole after the doctor visits! The doctor even gave me needles and brightly colored pills that made me numb...!_ "

 _Oh please...no!_ Yami cried to himself, backing painfully into the steel night-drawer sitting beside the bed.

Yami watched with increasing terror as the owner closed the door softly and the lock clicked once more.

The doctor seemed to have kind eyes as he moved forwards, holding his arm out with his palms upwards. A friendly gesture. A handshake?

 _No. I will not be friends with you. You and that servant, you all work for him_. Yami thought darkly, but he acknowledged the doctor with a slight nod.

The doctor took this as a good sign and lowered his hand. He pointed at the bed and patted the edge.

 _No. No, no!_ Yami thought frantically, shaking his head as his heart rate increased, _I don't know what you're going to do to me, so I am not going anywhere near you._

The doctor nodded and handed his briefcase to the manservant. The servant held the bottom of the case while the doctor flipped it open and Yami caught a glimpse of many sharp-looking medical tools.

Yami began to sweat and he watched as the doctor took his tools out, one by one, and laid them all out on the bed for him to see.

Yami could feel the owner staring at him, and he risked a glance upwards, and the owner nodded at him, almost politely. What? Why? Yami was so confused and scared.

The doctor's tools lay gleaming on top of the mattress and Yami's eyes lingered on each one. They looked normal enough, nothing sharp, nothing that could visibly hurt him.

The doctor pointed at the first tool farthest away from him, and looked at Yami.

 _He's asking me if...he can use that one on me?_ Yami realized, and he hesitated, feeling the owner's blue gaze pierce his skin.

If he did this without struggling, would his owner have mercy on him?

Yami chanced a nod, a very slight nod, and the doctor appeared to smile behind his mask. His eyes wrinkled in the corners.

The doctor picked up the tool and moved towards him. Yami forced himself to stay very still, allowing the doctor to approach him. The doctor pointed at his own ear, and then pointed at the device.

Yami swallowed nervously and nodded, blinking rapidly. He watched the doctor bend forwards and touch his ear gently, lightly tugging on his earlobe as the cold metal from the tool slid in and out of his earhole quickly. Yami dared himself to breathe.

The doctor leaned back and nodded, pointing at Yami's other ear. Yami nodded quickly, and the doctor repeated the same actions.

Perhaps this man was only checking my well-being? Yami thought hopefully as the doctor pointed at the next tool on the bed. Yami nodded and the doctor resumed his examination.

The doctor listened to his heart, lifted his arms, pressed his neck, felt around his head, and made him touch his toes.

Yami was beginning to feel slightly less nervous as the doctor poked and prodded him gently, opening his mouth and looking inside, tugging his eyelids up and making him look down. His owner was not paying attention; he was scrolling though his mobile phone, and the manservant was sitting cross-legged on the white couch across the room.

The doctor patted the bed again and held up another tool, pointing at his own knee. Yami nodded and obliged quickly, sitting gingerly on the bed, feeling the mattress sink wonderfully beneath him. He felt like he was sitting on a cloud! Was this how rich people slept?! On clouds?

The doctor bent down beside him and tapped his knees swiftly. The feeling tickled and Yami smiled slightly, watching his foot kick forwards.

The doctor nodded and smiled again. He set the tools down and pointed at himself, speaking softly, "Mr. Aki."

Yami blinked at him. What?

The doctor patted his chest, and repeated himself, "Mr. Aki." His voice was gentle and it sounded like he was smiling from under the mask. Was "Mr. Aki" his name?

The doctor repeated the motion a third time and spoke again.

Ah...it is his name! Yami nodded and repeated it back to him, "Mr. Aki."  
It was easy to say, and he mimicked the doctor's pronunciation perfectly.

His owner and the servant jerked their heads up to stare at him, their eyes wide. Yami felt his terror rising again. Perhaps he should not have imitated the doctor. Were they...angry? Annoyed?

The doctor straightened up and spoke to his owner. His owner nodded gravely and set his mouth in a tight line.

Yami was so confused. What was going on?!

Mr. Aki looked steadily into Seto's eyes, "He seems to be aware of his surroundings, as you just saw, so, he is shaking his head at your requests on his own accord. Probably. I also can't seem to figure out his nationality, unfortunately, he repeated my name quite well."

Seto frowned and nodded, "I still want a brain scan to be sure, but the blood test is more important."

"Well," Mr. Aki said, readjusting his gloves, "I'll be drawing his blood now. How do you think it will go? I agree that a blood test is more important at this point, because we don't know if this boy is carrying a foreign disease. Better to keep him here until the results come back."

Seto nodded stiffly, "And how do you suggest I get him to bathe? I tried bribing him with sweets." He gestured over to the low table laden with desserts and fruit.

"That, I'm not sure." Mr. Aki said, brow was frowning, "Either way, he seems to be in good health... over his clothes. Perhaps in a few more days when he gets more comfortable here, I could come back and do a more thorough examination."

Seto nodded again, gripping his phone tightly, feeling extremely anxious.

"Okay. Here we go." Mr. Aki said darkly. "Perhaps you should call a few of your bodyguards up, just in case. This boy seems intelligent. He was watching my every move whenever I touched my tools."

"The bodyguards would scare him further," Seto shook his head, "Try approaching him with the needle first."

"Very well," Mr. Aki sighed heavily and made his way over to his briefcase.

Yami watched as Mr. Aki turned away from his owner and began picking the tools up off the bed, packing it back into his metal case. What were they talking about? His owner looked tense, and Mr. Aki...was unreadable through the mask.  
Was the doctor leaving?

Perhaps he could get the doctor to stay! He seemed like a kind man!

"Mr. Aki...!" Yami began, and he choked on his voice as the doctor turned to face him with a needle. Yami sat frozen with horror, gripping the edge of the bed tightly, angry at himself for even beginning to trust this doctor.

The doctor nodded and held his hand out in a friendly gesture again.

 _No, NO! Not this time! I've been fooled!_ Yami realized miserably, _He checked my well-being first so I would trust him!_

His eyes darted around the room frantically. Where could he go? Where could he hide? The doctor was steadily getting closer and Yami shook his head, glaring and biting back tears.

His owner approached the bed suddenly and stood very close to him, placing a cold hand on his shoulder.

 _Don't...touch me!_ Yami screamed internally as he jerked away from his owner, and the doctor's gloved hand wrapped around his arm. _No..I will not..! Stay away!_

He moved to kick out and his owner caught his foot before it hit the doctor's chest, his slender fingers wrapped around his ankle and pinned his leg down onto the bed.

Horrified, Yami struggled, crying out, "No..please! Please...! I'll bathe, I'll bathe! You don't have to drug me! I will bathe!"

His owner stared deeply into his eyes as he pressed a finger to his own lips, in a gesture for quiet.

 _You want me to be quiet?!_ Yami thought, panic-stricken, _What if I am not? Will you change your mind about drugging me if I am quiet?_

In his terror, Yami could not recall any of the advice the nameless boy had given him about struggling. Had the boy said they _liked_ the struggle? But if he didn't struggle, he would end up drugged! Either way he would end up drugged!

He kicked out harder and the owner looked at him angrily, his cold hands pressing him down further into the soft mattress.

 _I'm never sleeping on this bed!_ Yami vowed to himself just he saw three surly men in dark suits walk quickly through the door, and Yami had never been more terrified in his life.

 _My owner...is calling more guards to restrain me! Why?! I haven't bathed, does it not matter?! Will he spread my hole regardless of how clean I am?!_ Yami cried to himself desperately.

"Please...please don't hurt me!" Yami begged, looking up into his owner's handsome face, his chest hurting from his heart beating too quickly. "I will bathe, I will do as you say, you don't need to drug me!"

Seto looked down into the boy's dark violet eyes, noticing tears beginning to pool at the corners as he spoke in his strange language.  
The boy was so scared, he could tell. He was asking to be let go.

Seto held him down tighter; he knew the guards were a terrible fucking idea, but what the hell else were they going to do? What if this boy was a walking contagious disease?! They might even need to sedate him at this point. Drawing blood while he squirmed and kicked might do more harm than good.

The bodyguards were all wearing face masks now, as per the doctor's orders, and Mr. Aki handed Seto one too.

"If I wear this, it'll scare him even more!" Seto exclaimed angrily as his bodyguards took over for him. Two men started to lean their weight on the boy's arms and the third one placed his large hands over the boy's slender knees, which were twisting and jerking every which way.

The boy let out a bloodcurdling scream, with tears running down his face as he looked frantically over at him, blinking and blinking imploringly. Seto looked away, feeling his stomach churn violently. He might lose his breakfast at this point.

"It will be over soon, Mr. Kaiba. If the boy is in this country illegally, you will have to do what it takes." Mr. Aki said firmly, prepping a separate syringe, "It seems like a mild sedation is required. May I have your permission?"

Seto swallowed tightly as he nodded, realizing Mr. Aki had addressed him as "Mr. Kaiba." This was a serious matter of public health in his household, so he needed to do this.

Yami choked on his tears as the two burly men leaned down on his shoulder's heavily, almost pressing the air out of him as the third held his knees down so tightly his thighs were going numb. The nameless boy's voice pierced through his consciousness once more.

_"He may even have friends or servants hold you down while he dirties your hole for the first time, especially if you struggle."_

Why?! Why was this coming true so quickly?! Yami thought miserably, looking around at the guard's masked faces, realizing everyone wore a mask...except for his owner. Yami stilled and stopped struggling immediately as his owner blue eyes stared intensely through him once more.

Yami swallowed, the terror was sapping away his energy quickly, _This is...my fate. I will accept it..but..at least..he is handsome...!_

Suddenly, Mr. Aki appeared in his view again, this time holding two syringes. One filled with a clear liquid and the other was empty.

No...! Yami jerked and shook his head vigorously, feeling hot tears leak down his face. He wanted to die. Anything was better than this. Would he wake up bleeding, not being able to remember his name, just like the other boy?!

Mr. Aki turned to Seto, "Looks like your idea is working. He sees you not wearing a mask and quiets down. He must trust you more than us."

"I doubt it." Seto responded hoarsely, unable to tear his eyes away from the boy's terrified, tear-stained face. The boy somehow managed to look beautiful even when he cried, and that thought shook him deeply. The men who sold him knew what they were doing. Virgins crying ...that was a huge fetish, wasn't it?

"Come stand closer Mr. Kaiba." The doctor said again, "Perhaps hold his hand to reassure him. I will insert the needle now. This is the sedative. Everything should go smoothly after this, and your men can leave. The boy is obviously very frightened."

 _Obviously,_ Seto thought darkly as he moved towards the bed. His movements seemed to incite a fresh bout of struggle from the boy, as he kicked and screamed even louder; his cries seemed to shake the crystals on the chandelier above them.

 _God...this is so horrible,_ Seto thought as he stood beside the boy, pressing a finger to his own lips again as a gesture for quiet. It worked earlier, was there any reason that it wouldn't work now?

Yami blinked through his tears, looking up at his handsome owner who pressed a finger against his lips again, asking for quiet.

 _But you and Mr. Aki are drugging me!_ Yami thought desperately, feeling betrayed, _I will scream as much as I can while I still have my own mind!_

"NO! I WON'T!" Yami cried, his throat searing painfully as he yelled at the top of his lungs.

The doctor was approaching him with the needle and Yami strained, flexing his arm stiffly, deeply afraid. Suddenly a warm hand pressed into his and wrapped around his fingers, squeezing firmly. Yami took deep gasping breaths, glancing up at his owner, who stared kindly down at him.

That confused Yami even further.  
Wh-What?! Did that mean he wasn't going to be dirtying his hole? Then who would? One of the guards?! ...While he watched?!

He stopped struggling and stared desperately up into his owner's clear blue eyes, feeling as if he was falling upwards into the sky. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in the middle of his arm and Yami glanced down, horrified, watching as the doctor emptied the needle's contents into his body.

Yami went numb with shock as he saw his own blood rushing back into the needle's barrel.

"Very good," Mr. Aki said slowly, picking up the empty syringe "One more. Your hand-holding worked Kaiba-kun. Smooth sailing from here."

Seto squeezed the boy's hand a little more firmly, feeling the fight leave the boy's body at an alarming rate. If this was the right thing to do, why did he feel so terrible doing it? Jesus.

"His other arm please," The doctor said, addressing the men, "And he needs to be very still for this. I don't want the tip breaking off into his skin if he moved suddenly."

Yami felt the men shift beside him as the doctor circled the large bed with the second needle.

 _Another one?! But...I just did one!_ Yami cried silently, tears leaking out of his eyes on their own accord. _I am really going to lose myself, aren't I?_

He couldn't bring himself to look. His head was growing heavy already and Yami felt like nothing mattered anymore. He looked sullenly over at his hand which his owner was still holding tightly, and he cursed his owner's hands for looking so beautiful. This man was evil.

Yami felt the needle stab his other arm, and a strange, light feeling tingled over his entire arm. _What's happening to my arm?!_ Yami thought fearfully, and he felt the doctor remove the needle after a long moment. A cold bandage pressed over the tiny wound and the doctor nodded, speaking something in the strange language.

Mr. Aki circled back around the bed towards Seto and showed him the wide syringe. It was completely filled with dark red blood.

"I hope you don't mind, Mr. Kaiba, I took more than needed in case you wanted to run DNA or test for genetic disease. The boy will be weak for a few days, he needs lots of food and rest. If he still refuses to eat...well..." The doctor looked over his shoulder at the boy, looking concerned.

"I'll admit him into a private hospital." Seto said darkly, clutching the boy's hand tightly. "In the meantime, I will find a way to make him bathe and eat. Thank you for your help, Mr. Aki."

"Very well." Mr Aki said pleasantly, sealing the syringe in a clear bag. "Thank you, men." He said, nodding at Kaiba's bodyguards.

The men got up quietly and left the room in a single file. Mokuba was peeking into the room fearfully, with Isono blocking his view slightly.

Seto looked over at the spiky-haired boy, who was shaking and trembling on the bed, staring silently up at the ceiling, a continuous stream of tears running down his beautiful face and soaking into the pillows.

Isono led Mokuba away from the doorway and closed the door softly.  
Seto heard the lock click and he palmed him face, his shoulders growing heavy. Fuck...everything.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Next chapter up: 10/21/17

Is it suspenseful? Is it sad? Please let me know what you thought about this chapter! Reviews (good or bad) really help me write the next chapter!

With love,  
Ugli


	3. I couldn't trust

Yami couldn't move. He just laid there, thoroughly spent, extremely terrified, and at the end of his wits. He was relieved when the men got up and left, but he had already been drugged, so it was pointless to struggle. His owner could now do whatever he wished to his body. He had no strength, but he was still awake. Yami tried clenching his fist, finding it difficult to curl his fingers tightly into his palm.

Seto sighed and walked into the bathroom. He dipped his hand into the water which had now turned ice cold.

 _Well, at least maybe now that he's sedated, he'll take a bath,_ Seto thought hopefully as he pulled the stopper and watched the water quickly drain out of the tub. He looked out into the room and saw the boy struggling to sit up weakly, watching him flop weakly back onto the pillows.

 _I could help him bathe,_ Seto mused.  
What was the boy so afraid of? Why was he sitting on the floor earlier, refusing to bathe? He clearly wanted to be clean. Seto had even saw him touching the water. Did his guards beat him in a shower room?

Trying not to think too much about it, lest he vomit, Seto filled the tub with water again, watching the steam quickly rising around the rim and he sprinkled another handful of scented salts into the tub. He knew the boy liked sweets. He had seen him practically drool at the sight of food on the table, why was it so hard to get him to do anything?!

Out of the corner of his eye, Seto saw the boy struggle to sit up again, and he decided he should help.

Yami took deep, gasping breaths, his chest heaving painfully. It had been a long while and he was still awake! This drug was only making him weak and not unconscious, and that thought scared him even more.

He tried to sit up, feeling his entire body strain as his mind screamed at his limbs to move, but nothing happened. His legs remained limp and his arms were still useless. He tried holding one arm over his head, but he only managed to lift it up slightly.

How long would this drug last? Was this going to be his life now? A limp, lifeless doll while his owner touched him anywhere he pleased? Yami tried not to choke on his tears as he heard the water running once more.

He was going to be cleaned again, and now his hole was going to be dirtied for sure. No one could help him. Not the servant, not the Mokuba boy, and certainly not the doctor. The nameless boy was right. Death was much preferable to a life like this, even if he was surrounded by luxury.

He saw his owner coming towards the bed and Yami managed to shake his head frantically, staring at his handsome face, begging silently with his eyes. Please...please...how could someone so handsome be this terrible?!

Seto watched the boy shake his head at him again, his eyes wide and fearful.

 _Yeah, I know, you don't want a fucking bath,_ Seto growled privately, _But you know what? You reek, so I'm going to wash you, even if it kills me._

Seto reached out and carefully removed one of the boy's shoes, watching the boy's expressions carefully. The boy began shaking his head over and over again, more tears running down his face. Seto sighed and resigned himself to being hated by the boy. He quickly pulled the other shoe off and rested his hand along the bottom hem of boy's white shirt.

 _No...no! No!_ Yami thought numbly, his chest feeling like it was going to explode with fear. _He's taking off my clothes! He's taking off my clothes and I can't stop him!_

Seto slipped a hand down across the boy's back and sat him upright gently. He slipped the shirt off from around his head, the edges catching slightly on the tips of his spiky hair. He carefully inspected the boy's bare chest, searching for scars or bruises, relieved when he found none.

Yami felt like a fire was burning in his cheeks as his owner took off his shirt and stared at his bare chest shamelessly.

 _Stop it! Get your eyes off of me!_ Yami cried silently, praying his pants would remain on his body. Nope. His owner boldly inched them down over his hips and slid them all the way down past his ankles, looping them expertly off his feet.

 _Ugh..._ Seto thought as he tried not to flinch as he undressed the boy with ease. _It's like I'm unwrapping a virgin present of sorts. He's wearing white and everything. Did they make him wear this shit on purpose? These clothes feel new. Are there people who enjoy this?! That's gross and sick._

 _God...someone...anyone...help me..!_ Yami screamed silently as he lay naked on the bed, staring up at a blank spot on the ceiling. _If I was drugged, why couldn't I be unconscious? I would much rather be unconscious!_

Seto slipped his arms beneath the boy, one bracing his knees, the other holding his back firmly, and he swept him off the bed in one smooth motion.

Yami felt his head spin as his owner picked him up strongly and carried him into the bathroom. The warm smell of milk and honey once again rose up around him.

Yami tried to keep his breathing even as his owner lowered him gently into the hot water. It stung everywhere when the water touched his body, but it felt so good...it felt _so good!_ Tears began escaping out of his eyes again and Yami felt his face burn with shame and gratitude.

Seto carefully lowered the boy into the tub, feeling his sleeves soak heavily into the water, and he cursed at himself for forgetting to roll them up beforehand.

There was a slight bump as he felt the boy's bottom hit the leveled seat in the tub and Seto carefully let go, leaning the boy's back against the wall, one hand holding him steady, making sure he didn't fall face-first into the water.

Yami took deep, shuddering breaths, inhaling the sweet aroma from the bath, his fear steadily evaporating as the steam rose up higher around him. It felt good to be water after so many days! His owner's hand was warm, steadying him firmly against the wall.

Yami lifted his arm up, still feeling extremely weak. The heat from the water was relaxing him further and he found it even more difficult to move. Yami wanted to wash his face, and he wondered how he could go about doing that.

His owner's hand slowly released his shoulder and Yami tried his best to remain upright. To his great relief, he could easily sit up the water. He was floating slightly too...and Yami wondered why.

Seto slowly withdrew his hand from the boy's tanned shoulder and was immensely relieved to see that he could sit up by himself. Maybe the sedative was wearing off. Hopefully it would ...soon. He wasn't looking forward to force-feeding this kid.

Seto stood fluidly and crossed the bathroom, rummaging in the cabinets for a washcloth and loofah. He found them easily and returned to the edge of the bath, realizing the boy had disappeared beneath the surface of the milky water.

Shit…! Shit! Seto cried out, alarmed, as he quickly reached into the water to yank the boy up by the arm. The boy resurfaced, sputtering and gasping with an intensely blissful look plastered across his face, his blonde bangs glued to his cheeks as water trailed down his slender neck.

 _Oh thank fuck!_ Seto thought furiously, hanging his head in relief. _Talk about a fucking heart attack._

Seto handed the washcloth to the boy and watched as he tried to reach up to grab it, but his arm didn't seem to want to move past his chest.

 _Sedative, not wearing off_. Seto thought darkly, _Damn. I was hoping to avoid this, but here goes._

He reached around for the glass bottle sitting at the edge of the tub. It was filled with a tinted blue soap and Seto could feel the kid watching him curiously as he pumped two full globs across the cloth.

 _Let's start with…. arms._ Seto decided, because that was as much as he could reach without picking the boy up out of the water. He lifted the boy's arm lightly by the wrist, shocked at how thin he was, and began gently scrubbing across his tanned skin in light circles, watching as the bubbles frothed around his hand.

Seto was thinking how pale he looked in comparison to this boy. They were definitely from different worlds.

Seto lowered the boy's arm back into the water, watching the suds float away from the boy's slender body as he reached for the other one. He saw the boy lift his arm up, willingly, trying to move, but obviously failing.

Yami felt a strange sensation fluttering in his chest as his owner grabbed his other arm lightly and began scrubbing him thoroughly. The washcloth grazed over his skin in soft, gentle circles and Yami felt himself relaxing. This actually felt really nice...!

His owner seemed to understand him in his mind, and he was pulled closer to the edge of the tub. Yami watched as his owner slowly peeled the bandage off his needle wound and tossed it aside, carefully washing the affected area with great care.

Yami felt his face heat up again as he stared at his owner's sharp cheekbones.

Was this an act?! This felt too nice...too pleasant. It felt like he was dreaming, despite all the terrible things that had happened earlier. He was now sitting in a steaming hot bath that smelled like honey, where his handsome owner was attending to him very thoroughly.

Suddenly, his owner paused in his scrubbing and turned the palm of his hand upwards to face him. What was he looking at? Yami craned his neck, watching his owner frown deeply into his palm.

Yami panicked. Was there something disgusting on his hands?!

Seto thought it was a mark of dirt as he passed the washcloth over it, but upon closer inspection, it was a series of numbers.

 _What …the hell?!_ Seto thought faintly as he turned the boy's palm upwards, his heart beating loudly in his chest as he realized what he was looking at.

A product number _._ A tiny tattoo of the numbers **65-832** sat across the boy's pulse point, the dark ink almost blending in with his skin, but it was visible when you looked right at it, and Seto was looking right at it, feeling his stomach curl unpleasantly again.

 _Holy fuck,_ Seto thought heavily, his grip unconsciously tightening over the boy's wrist. _This explains why he screamed and kicked when he saw a needle. I wouldn't be surprised if drugs or a blood disease turned up in his system. Meth? Heroine?_

Seto's blood ran cold as he gripped the washcloth tightly, thinking, _I need to do more research. Probably call a tattoo removal specialist._ And he continued washing the rest of the boy's arm, realizing the boy was once again looking at him fearfully.

 _Nothing's wrong...please don't panic...!_ Seto thought frantically, smiling as gently as he could manage.

Yami swallowed nervously and tried to remain calm. Why did his owner suddenly seem angry when he looked at his hand? Were his hands not pretty enough for him?

 _Because he's probably used to having prettier toys,_ Yami thought sadly, feeling extremely bitter. _If he bought me, couldn't he at least be happy with me? How despicable._

Seto placed the washcloth down gently on the edge of the tub and lowered the boy's arm back into the water.

Yami watched as the bubbles sitting on his arm floated away across the water. He wanted to touch the stacks of bubbles, but to his intense frustration, his arms were still too weak to move on their own.

His owner had stood up again and was dragging something across the floor of the bathroom. The noise echoed and bounced around the room oddly. Yami looked up at the high ceiling, amazed to see that there were long, slanted windows up above him.

The afternoon sun shone in through the panels, leaving a golden striped pattern along the beautiful stone walls. He could see a few wisps of white clouds floating across the bright blue sky and Yami felt his eyes tearing up. It was too beautiful.  
He wondered if he bathed here at night, would it be like bathing under the starry night sky? That thought took his breath away.

He still couldn't believe that his owner lived like this, when he struggled every day, stealing food from the marketplace any chance he had.

His owner returned and dipped his arms down into the water towards him. Yami panicked slightly. What….what was he doing?!  
Yami felt himself being gently lifted up out of the water and he slumped limply in his owner's arms.

 _I'm still being washed,_ Yami thought hazily, realizing his arms were the cleanest part of his body right now.

His owner propped him up against the wall on a small stool covered with a towel and Yami shivered as he felt his back hit the cold stone wall behind him. His owner draped another small towel over his thighs, covering his penis, and Yami looked up at him, his eyes shining with gratitude.  
Hope began to swell up inside him once more.  
Was his owner not planning on dirtying him today?

Seto palmed the washcloth and started at the boy's shoulders, kneeling in front of him, the water soaking in though his trousers. Seto ignored the feeling and began rubbing the washcloth in gentle circles across the boy's tanned skin, watching the foam build up around the boy's slender shoulders.

His washcloth traveled down to the boy's smooth chest and Seto swallowed tightly as he scrubbed across the boy's nipples, noticing them harden and turn pink.  
He lifted the boy's arm and ran gentle circles down his side, trying not to stare at the perky pink nipple that was hovering just above his forehead.

 _Don't fucking stop and don't fucking look_ , Seto berated himself, wondering faintly if it was possible he could be attracted to this boy. His body was pure and beautiful. Everything Seto did seemed to elicit a response. The boy would gasp, blink his large eyes, or smile shakily at him every time he finished cleaning a certain area.

 _If he acts like this while he is sedated.._.  
Seto wondered darkly what kind of reactions he would have seen if the boy was in full control of his bearings. He was beginning to fall into a steady rhythm, and he could clearly see the foam come up slightly grey as he carefully sloughed the grime off the boy's body.

Seto scraped the foam off in large pile and held it up for the boy to see, watching him turn a pleasant shade of pink.

Yami swallowed as he stared at the stack of grey foam hovering in his owner's hands.

His owner seemed to be telling him, 'Look. This was how filthy you are...!' and Yami felt his embarrassment rise quickly, burning his face and ears. Well, if I wasn't about to have my hole dirtied, I would have cleaned myself thoroughly just fine! Yami retaliated furiously in his head, turning his head away quickly, trying to appear defiant.

 _Yeah, be embarrassed._ Seto thought viciously, _That's how dirty you were! And you didn't want a fucking bath! Jesus Christ Almighty..._ Seto shook his head in disbelief and grabbed the shower head, switching it on quickly to rinse the grey foam off his hands.

Yami watched curiously and his owner pointed the stream of water at him, gently pushing the rest of the foam off his body with the water pressure.  
The shower head felt so good on his skin..! It was like a massage, but with...water!

Yami felt his breath quicken excitedly. He wanted to try this device out for himself! It was too bad he still couldn't move...

Seto switched the water off and knelt down once more in front of the boy, leaning him forwards so that the boy's chin was propped up firmly on his shoulder as he rubbed his back with the washcloth in light circles. He was relieved to see there were also no bruises or scars here as well.

Yami felt his chin hook over his owner's shoulder as he was leaned forwards gently. He felt warm hands and the washcloth beginning to clean him all the way down his back in comforting circles.

Yami felt his breath beginning to catch in his chest again as tears threatened to spill out from his eyes. Being touched like this...felt nice. It was almost loving. His owner mustn't be a terrible person if he was being touched so gently...!

Yami shut his eyes and enjoyed the soft circles of the washcloth rubbing his back and he sighed deeply, relaxing himself completely into his owner's arms. Maybe...being penetrated by this man...wouldn't be so bad after all. He could force himself to endure it, if it meant he would be bathed like this every time, Yami vowed he would find a way to be okay with it.

The nameless boy's words came creeping into his consciousness again.

_"He will spread you as open against your will and ram his dick in your hole."_

The wonderful warm sensation vanished instantly, replaced again, by a cold fear.

The shower head and come down over his back and Yami was unable to enjoy it as much this time, his heart thudding loudly in his chest as he tried to imagine his owner touching him the way the other men at the moldy building did.

 _I will be okay with it!_ Yami told himself ferociously, feeling his owner lean him back into the wall.

 _Legs next_ , Seto decided, feeling oddly warm. Washing this kid wasn't as bad as he'd thought.  
_He's being nice and giving me thankful looks,_ Seto thought happily, glad to know that his efforts were not in vain, _Language barrier aside, he might actually be a good kid._

Seto pulled up another stool and sat down on it carefully, reaching down to grab one of the boy's beautifully tanned ankles. He looked up and pressed a firm hand om the boy's chest, steadying him against the wall.

Seto's eyes widened as he could feel the hard thumping of the boy's frantic heartbeat pounding between his fingers as he looked at him strangely with his large violet eyes, turning a deeper shade of red.

 _Shit…his skin is fucking soft,_ Seto thought as he leaned down to prop the kid's leg on his thigh and he began making his way up the boy's leg, scrubbing in small circles again.

Yami's breathing quickened as his owner's hand pressed him into the wall steadily as his leg was being washed.

Seto could feel the plumpness from the boy's skin brushing against his fingertips and he withdrew his hand from the boy's chest, a strange feeling curling in his stomach. The boy began to slip to the side and Seto grit his teeth, raising his hand once more to press into the boy's slender chest.

Yami blinked rapidly, his owner's hand on chest pushed a strange warmth into him, so much that it began spreading through his arms and legs.

Was the drug wearing off? He was beginning to feel things again. Yami tried to lift his arms once more, annoyed when they didn't obey.

He was beginning to feel hot all over as his owner's steady circles rubbed over the top of his thigh, slowly entering his inner thigh. Yami looked into his owner's face, noticing that his brown bangs were obscuring his blue eyes, and his owner seemed to be concentrating on just cleaning his body.

The warm washcloth rubbing circles on his inner thigh began to feel good...and hot, but..good. Yami took in a deep breath, trying not let out any odd sounds. The washcloth traveled past his inner thigh and his owner began working in soft circles underneath his leg, near his buttocks.

Was it his imagination or were the circles getting wider and softer as they reached his...private area?!  
_  
_ Yami gasped, out loud this time as his owner's finger's brushed right up into his thigh crack, slipping between his balls and rubbing lightly.

Yami gasped deeply, hearing his voice echo around in the spacious room. He felt hot streams of fire run down his arms and legs every time his owner passed by his balls, rubbing the washcloth behind his thigh, so much that he felt his stomach heating up too. Being bathed everywhere felt amazing!

Seto grit his teeth, hearing the boy gasp and hiccup slightly as his fingers accidentally brushed against the boy's testicles.

 _Shit...sorry kid_ , Seto thought roughly, evening out his strokes and making a conscious effort to be more gentle. He hoped he hadn't stabbed his nails into the kid's balls, because that was what it fucking felt like. Was the boy mad? Seto chanced a glance up into the kid's face and felt his chest constrict painfully as the boy was looked back at him with a lewd expression.

His lightly tanned face was flushed a dark pink, his mouth half-open, his chest rising and falling with his light gasps. He had his head leaned back onto the wall as his toes began twitching in Seto's grasp.

Seto took in a quick breath and suddenly stopped in his motions. _Oh...sh-shit. Shit shit..Was the boy..aroused?!_ Deciding he didn't want to find out, and immensely glad he had laid a washcloth over the kid's dick, he set the kid's leg down and reached for the other leg, trying to get it over with as quick as possible.

Yami felt a disappointed lump rise up in his throat as his owner quickly set his foot down. Would he do the other leg the same way? Yami thought hopefully, trying to catch his owner's eye. But his owner wasn't looking at him. He was bent over his other leg, his head lowered so much that Yami could see the swirl of where his brown hair started at the top of his head.

No, his owner was rushing his strokes now, straight up and down his leg, apparently impatient, and no longer as careful or loving. Why? What had changed?! Slightly irritated, Yami wiggled his foot, hoping his owner would notice...Would he understand?

Seto noticed all right. He watched as the boy rolled his ankle around in a slow circle and Seto found he couldn't draw his next breath.

 _Oh...you spoiled little..._ Seto thought darkly, _You want the small circles, not the up-and-down scrubbing. What the hell do I look like to you, your slave?_

But he complied, knowing if he could gain the boy's trust, getting him to eat would be much more useful later on.

Yami blinked happily as the owner slowed his motions and resumed the careful circles up his legs. His owner even took the time to run the washcloth between each of his toes and Yami wiggled them happily in his owner's grasp, feeling extremely content. His mind buzzed with pleasure as the washcloth ran back up his leg and traveled down between his thighs again.

His owner's fingers once again passed extremely close to his privates, and this time Yami found himself not minding as much. He needed that area to be clean too...if his owner wouldn't mind. He blinked hopefully at his owner, watching his owner ignore him.

Seto made a motion to set the boy's leg down, just as he caught him shaking his spiky-haired head.

 _Ugh, what now?_ Seto thought begrudgingly, looking deeply into the boy's large violet eyes.

The boy jerked his knee upwards and rolled his ankle again.

 _Not done?! This leg is clean!_ Seto thought angrily as he set his washcloth down on the boy's toes again.

 _No, not there!_ Yami thought desperately, shaking his head furiously.

 _Not here...?_ Seto tilted his head at the kid. _He's trying to tell me something._

Seto inched the washcloth higher, placing it on the boy's shin. He watched as the boy shook his head again, blinking his beautiful eyes at him. Higher.

 _Okay...here?_ Seto thought as he placed the washcloth on top of the boy's thigh.

There was half-nod and a shake.

 _Kind of...sort of?_ Seto frowned and then he realized...he did miss a spot.  
Actually, two spots.  
The boy's ass and his genitals.

 _Ah fuck. ...is this kid for real?_ Seto wondered, suddenly regretting his generous, careful scrubbing. Whatever. Worth it, if the boy would at least eat something afterwards.

Seto placed the boy's foot back down and stood up to grab the shower head. He switched it on and began rinsing the cloth, feeling the boy's imploring gaze follow him.

Yami frowned, dismayed, as his owner stood up and washed the cloth at the shower. What? He-he agreed ...didn't he? Did he understand?

Seto pulled the shower head over to the stool and set it down beside him. He pumped two large drops of soap on the washcloth and leaned the boy forwards onto him again, making sure his chin was hooked steadily on his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Seto started at the kid's lower back and scrubbed his way down in small circles to the top edge of his buttocks. Okay, now this…was tricky.

Seto grabbed both of the boy's arms and draped them over his shoulders, feeling the hot water soak down his back. Fuck. Well, he was going to be soaking wet after this anyway, so it didn't matter which part of him was dry anymore.  
He felt the boy's arms tighten slightly around his neck and he took that as a good sign. The boy's strength was returning, which meant the sedative was wearing off.

Seto wrapped a strong arm around the boy's body and lifted him slight up off the stool, quickly sliding the washcloth down underneath the boy's ass with his other hand.

Yami gasped as his owner lifted him up smoothly and ran the washcloth down his rear, with the same, gentle strokes. He gripped his owner tightly, shutting his eyes as he tensed pleasurably. It felt so nice to be bathed so gently!

Seto's arms tensed as he tried not to grope the supple butt cheeks which were glistening back at him. The boy's arms were tightening around his neck more and more as he slowly regained his strength. The sedative was completely wearing off, thank fuck.

 _Done_ , Seto thought triumphantly, withdrawing the washcloth, and he made a motion to lower the boy back down, but the boy wouldn't let go.

 _OH ...come on!_ Seto thought angrily, slapping the washcloth back down across the boy's buttocks and continued washing him in small circles, gently grazing against the boy's asshole.

Yami gasped and let out a slight laugh as the feeling tickled.  
What was his owner doing? Was he done? Or was he not done?!

Seto heard the boy's laugh ring out by his ear and his stomach tightened uncomfortably.  
_Okay, we are done. You are having too much fun._ Seto thought angrily as he set the boy back down on the stool.

He didn't give the boy a minute to compose himself before he shoved the washcloth down between his thighs and gently grabbed the boy's balls, with the washcloth acting as a barrier, he gave them a few rough rubs. _  
There. Clean_. Seto thought angrily, taking the washcloth out and picking up the shower head to rinse it.

Yami gasped and squirmed, turning red as his whole body heated up again.  
That was ...intentional? Did his owner do that to make him feel good?  
Because….he felt good.  
Was that normal?  
Yami glanced down at his legs which were still covered with stacks of foam. He stretched them out slightly, showing his owner that he hadn't had his legs rinsed with the pulsing water.

He saw the owner look down at his legs and nod quickly.

 _Such a good owner!_ Yami thought happily, wiggling his toes, _He understands me without even having to speak!_ _Perhaps I am lucky after all...!_

Seto picked up one of the boy's legs and quickly ran the shower head over the suds, watching them slide off his slender, tanned leg.

 _Pretty,_ Seto thought, blinking as a few flecks of water splashed back into his face. He lowered the pressure by twisting the rim of the shower head slightly, and he noticed the boy watching him curiously.

Sighing, Seto picked up the boy's other leg and ran the shower head gently over his knees, aiming the water at the suds dripping down his inner thigh.

Yami felt the water pressure grow lighter, but steadier as his owner cleaned his legs once more. His body tingled, and he felt so nice and warm.

He felt his face heat up again as his owner lifted his leg, spraying water along his inner thigh. Yami could feel the suds dripping down his buttocks and a few stray streams of water caught the tip of his penis.  
Yami gasped pleasurably and suddenly, he felt extremely tense and hot all over.  
He wondered if it was because the water was heated...

Seto watched curiously as the boy's dick slowly began to stand at attention underneath the thin washcloth hanging over his hips.

Yami gripped the edges of the stool tightly, feeling his strength return. The drug seemed to be wearing off more now and he wanted his owner to move the water over his penis. It felt good.  
Could I ask my owner to wash my penis? Yami wondered, his thoughts blurring together steadily as the room began to swim. His breaths had turned into short pants and he desperately wanted..his owner..to wash..his penis!

Yami shot his owner a glare, nudging his hips forwards. Wash...down there! Yami thought, glancing down at the white washcloth around his hips and back up at his owner.

 _What the hell?_ Seto thought frantically, moving the water away quickly as the boy glared at him and stared down at the washcloth. The boy repeated his bucking motion, glaring furiously at him and then lowered his gaze to the cloth around his hips.

Seto felt his mouth go dry as he moved the pulsing water back over the boy's thigh, watching his chest rising and falling eagerly, his violet eyes never leaving the shower head as it moved closer towards him.

 _Wait...he wants me to wash him there?_ Seto though faintly, the shower head slipping from his grasp slowly. _Does he know he's popping a boner?!_

Yami saw the shower head beginning to fall from the slender fingertips of his owner and he nudged his owner's knee with his foot impatiently. What was his owner doing? Daydreaming?!

Seto felt a hard nudge from the boy's toes grazing over his knee. Seto grit his teeth and resumed his grip on the shower head. The boy's strength was back, so he was now acting like this on purpose.

Smirking, Seto aimed the shower head right at the center of the boy's crotch, watching him throw his head back joyously at the feeling.

Yami gasped as the water from the shower rushed quickly over his center, which had been throbbing and oddly hot. His owner seemed to read his mind and stepped closer, the shower water rushing powerfully around his dick. Oh..that..that feeling! It was hot and cold all at once and it made his toes curl. Yami began gasping and panting again, wishing his owner would step closer. He felt so hot and ticklish everywhere, and the feeling was growing stronger the longer his owner held the water down on his center.

Seto tilted his head and moved the shower head away from the tip of the boy's leaking dick, shutting the water off. He couldn't continue doing this if the boy didn't know what the hell he was feeling. Was the kid really that sexually inexperienced? Had he never touched himself before?

A creeping horrible realization came crashing down over Seto as he figured, that was probably the case. How was that even possible? He guessed even Mokuba had tried touching himself on occasion..

But then Seto remembered how dirty the kid was when he came in. If he had been that filthy his whole life, touching himself probably wasn't one of his top priorities.

Oh god...Seto blinked and blinked, setting the shower head heavily back into its cradle. This kid was _actually_ a virgin, in every sense of the word! Holy..shit.

That thought was both troubling and arousing at the same time.

Yami felt his thighs tremble violently as he watched his owner hang the shower head back up. No..wait..wait..! Yami craned his neck to catch his owner's eye. I wanted….that!

His owner turned to give him a small smile, and Yami returned the smile heartily. _Yes, yes! Smile, and pick the water hose up!  
_ His owner was stupid!

His owner tilted his head at him again, his blue eyes sparkling mischievously as he pointed a slender finger downwards.

Yami was confused. Down? Look down? Why?  
He looked down.  
He didn't get it.

Yami frowned visibly at his owner, screaming at him in his head, _What? Pick up the water hose!_

Seto frowned back at the boy and he felt his arms and legs beginning to shake as he watched the kid stare adorably back at him. This was...bad.

Seto reached forwards and lightly lifted the white towel away from the boy's hips, watching as the boy turned an even deeper shade of crimson when he looked down at his own erect penis.

Yami leaned back against the wall so hard he heard his back slap against the stone wetly as he stared at his erection.

 _Oh, that is mine,_ Yami thought faintly, wondering why he hadn't noticed sooner. His dick was very pink at the tip and it looked very wet, even though his body was beginning to dry slowly. Should he be embarrassed? Or should he show his owner?!

Yami blinked and blinked, unable to think clearly as his dick twitched happily back at him. Yes, then he shouldn't cover himself up, right? Was his owner happy to see him like this?

Yami dared himself to look up at his owner, who was watching him with an air of amusement.

 _He's interested!_ Yami thought happily. _This isn't my hole, but if it makes him happy, he will continue to be nice to me! Isn't this much_ better _than my hole?!_

Yami leaned forwards, looking hopefully up at his owner, trying to speak with him through his mind. _You'll be nice to me now? You don't like my hands, but you like me here?_

Seto felt his resolve slipping as the boy gazed up at him hopefully. _What...did he want to….continue?!_

Something possessed Seto to reach for the shower head again, slowly, watching as the boy nodded vigorously.

 _Oh, oh god. He's saying yes, that's yes, right? Nodding means 'yes'?_ Seto thought weakly, his hand shaking visibly now. He withdrew his hand away from the shower head and attempted a smirk at the boy, trying to make it seem as if he was teasing.

Seto watched as the boy shook his head again, frantically, his eyes darting between his hand and the shower head, nodding vigorously.

Can... _I_ say no?! Seto wondered faintly as his hands wrapped around the handle of the shower head.

 _Yes, you understand now!_ Yami thought furiously as he was shivered slightly from the cold. Wow, his owner was stupid.

The water had begun to dry off his skin and Seto noticed this instantly.

 _Shit, he's cold!_ Seto realized and he switched the water on, carefully adjusting the temperature and lightly sprinkling him over the head with the water. The kid reached up and ran his hands through his hair vigorously, scrubbing it so much it became a spiky tri-colored mess; the water ran down his face and arms.

Yami was enjoying himself thoroughly beneath the wonderful rush of water. Everything felt so nice and warm! 

_Oh look at that_ , Seto thought dryly, _You can move your arms and legs normally now._

The kid looked up at him through his spiky blond bangs, and his little pink dick twitched visibly again.

 _Stop it, you're doing that on purpose!_ Seto thought angrily, debating shutting off the water again.

Suddenly, the boy grinned at him, a wide, beautiful smile. A real smile.

 _Well, if you're so okay with it,_ Seto thought plainly as he aimed the shower head directly down at the boy's crotch again, watching as the kid shamelessly threw his head back and gazed at him though half-lidded eyes.

 _Lower..please._..! Yami begged in his mind. The shower water felt too far away. Everything just felt like a dull pleasurable thud. He bit his lip and let out a small gasp, his stomach clenching tightly from the water running over the tip of his sensitive dick.

Seto felt his self-control slip slightly, his mouth beginning to dry as the boy bucked his hips upwards, trying to feel the water pressure more firmly across his tip.

Sweating with restraint, Seto twisted the rim of the shower head, changing the setting and deliberately pulsing the water across the boy's inner thighs.

This time, Yami let out an audible gasp, which sounded a lot more like a stifled moan. He felt like he was going to slide off his stool from moving his hips forwards and upwards too much. The water thudding along the insides of his thighs felt too good; it was heavenly.  
His vision began to blur and turn white, his deep gasps were echoing around the room. He knew he should be embarrassed but he didn't care, he wanted this feeling to never end.

Seto heard the boy's gasps getting louder and more desperate. He was surprised it was taking the kid so long to cum. It then occurred to him that he probably...didn't ...know how to fully cum unless there was a stroking touch.

 _No, I can't touch him,_ Seto thought viciously. _His blood test hasn't even been processed yet, what the hell am I doing?!_

Yami felt himself tremble violently, his knees shaking and twitching as another delicious, hot feeling curled up inside him.  
His body was straining so hard…. for something! But he couldn't figure out what.  
Yami knew there was more to this amazing feeling, and that his owner was holding back on purpose. Was this fun for him?! He could barely breathe or think, and his stomach was clenching so tightly, but the deep curling feeling would fade away almost immediately.  
He wanted the deep swirling feeling to consume his body.  
Could his owner help him now…? Please? Yami looked up at his owner who was staring at him oddly.

 _What was his name?!_ Yami thought faintly. He had heard it being said a lot. The Mokuba boy had shouted _"Seto"_ before saying anything, doctor had said "Mr. Kaiba", the servant had said it too.  
Was his name Seto? Or was it .. ? Which one was easier to say? Mr. Kaiba sounded a lot like Mr. Aki!

Yami struggled to remain conscious as the water pulsed heavily up towards his stomach as his owner aimed it up higher up behind his dick.

 _So, his name...must be Seto..!_ Yami thought faintly, struggling to keep his eyes open as another wave of hot pleasure rose up from his center. He didn't care if he was wrong. He just wanted…more of this heated feeling! More of this curling, clenching feeling.

"S-Seto?" Yami asked hesitantly, and he saw his owner's eyes widen as he dropped the shower head loudly onto the floor with a clatter.

"No! I'm s-sorry!" Yami gasped, in his own language, shuddering as the water pressure suddenly left his body, "Please...bring the water back...!"

Seto bent down slowly and picked the shower head back up, shaking from head to toe, the strange language ringing in his ears.  
This kid...! He was paying attention and he was intelligent enough to figure out his name! And the way he said it...! Seto felt himself unwittingly grow hard. Fine.  
He could manage to give the kid an orgasm without touching him.  
As long as he didn't touch any of the kid's fluids, it should be fine.

"Seto?" Yami asked again hopefully, blinking rapidly, feeling excited as his owner knelt down in front of him and placed one arm behind his back, bracing him forwards.

 _Yes, my name is Seto, you're very clever_ , Seto thought, bemused. He roughly ran the water pressure over the the top of the boy's very pink tip and watched as the boy shuddered pleasurably. Seto steadily moved the shower head up and down methodically along the boy's shaft, watching as the boy's knees twitched and convulsed, but he still didn't cum.

 _Oh my god, cum already...!_ Seto thought shakily. Was he holding out his orgasm on purpose? Jesus. This boy was tease.

Yami gasped and leaned forwards strongly, his owner's warm hand on his back was keeping him steady. The curling feeling went away again! This was becoming extremely frustrating! Was it his fault or was his owner doing this to him on purpose?

Yami felt his owner run the powerful rush of water up and down his erect penis, and he wished his owner would do it faster. His owner did, by circling the trail of water around the head of his penis, grazing his tip and bringing the water back down to a pulsing throb, slapping pleasurably against the base of his testicles. _  
Oh...that.. feels..so..amazing!_ Yami shuddered and gasped, trying to catch his owner's blue-eyed stare, but his owner wasn't looking at him. His head was lowered, staring intently at his center. Yami clenched and tensed happily, bringing his knees together tightly, hoping and praying that his owner liked what he was seeing.

Seto leaned the shower head lower, running the water playfully across the kid's plump testicles, and he rushed the powerful stream of water back up to the boy's tip.  
He lowered the water up and down across the boy's shaft again, watching the dick twitch and leak, and then he suddenly switched the water into a thin, pressured stream, aiming it directly down into the boy's slit.

Yami felt his vision grow brighter and brighter as his stomach curled tighter and tighter. His owner suddenly pulsed a direct stream of hot water down into his dickhole and Yami gasped. It was a sensation that he had never felt before ...and it made him cum. He doubled over, his entire body shook and clenched once, twice...three times, as a strange sound escaped from his throat as his body spasmed with intense shocks of pleasure. Yami almost slipped off the stool, but his owner's hands held him steady against the wall.

 _Well, there's that,_ Seto thought impersonally, watching as the boy cried out loudly, lurching forwards as his semen shot upwards into his stomach.

Seto found that he couldn't stop staring as the thick liquid dripped down from the boy's cock in small, white beads, and they trailed down his perfectly round balls which were pushed taut up against the bath stool.

Seto had lightly experimented with gay porn...but this was ...something entirely different. He wasn't watching this through a screen. This was real, very real. And it made him feel something..oddly delicious in his chest. Seto decided that it was definitely more arousing right now, to see this boy's pink dick twitching back at him, as opposed to a pair of bouncing breasts.

Seto didn't make eye contact with the boy as he quickly washed the semen away.

Seto absentmindedly blasted the water down the boy's balls again, watching the boy shudder violently while the pressured stream hit his testicles sensually, fresh after an orgasm. He rocked backwards and forwards, tightly clutching the stool beneath him as the new sensations of pleasure raked across his entire body.

 _Yeah, you're welcome_. Seto thought, smirking slightly as he made sure all the semen had been washed safely down the drain.

Yami thunked his head heavily against the wall, spent. He knew his owner had purposely blasted his testicles with the water right after he had just squirted..! That feeling was too much! It was too intense. He looked down at himself and flushed.  
His tip was now a robust, red color and Yami stared at his own penis, his face heating up further as he wondered why his dick hadn't gone back down.

Seto hung the shower head back up on its cradle, watching the boy stare and blush at himself. It was adorable. Setting his teeth, Seto walked over to the cabinets and grabbed a large, fluffy white towel. He watched as the boy tried to rise unsteadily from the bath stool and Seto hurried back over to hold him upright.

He quickly wrapped the towel around the boy and led him out of the bathroom.

Yami walked carefully, placing one foot in front of the other as his owner kept one hand on his back and the other gripping his arm, leading him towards the bed, which had fresh sheets on it.

His owner sat him down on the edge of the bed and Yami felt his head spin wonderfully. His owner had just made him feel really good…and he was gentle the entire time! Would his owner want to dirty him now that he was clean?

Seto walked hastily back into the bathroom to grab a robe and he threw it at the boy, feeling water drip heavily off from his clothes. Damn, he was fucking soaked. He didn't bother to give the boy a second glance before quickly striding out of the room and locking the door firmly behind him.

Isono was coming up the grand staircase and he was met with a strange sight. Kaiba's clothes were dark and plastered against his body. Isono stared at Kaiba, with shock painted in every line of his face, "M-Mr. Kaiba...you're completely soaked!"

"Yep." Seto responded viciously, marching into his room, peeling off his clothes furiously, "I gave him a bath. He's clean now, and he has no markings on any part of his body." _Other than his wrist,_ Seto thought privately.

"I-I-I'll take those for you...!" Isono cried, reaching out to grab every garment that slipped off of Seto's body.

"Right." Seto said roughly, watching his manservant leave the room quickly. He strode over to his closet and pulled out another thin turtle neck and he stepped into a pair of dark trousers. He walked into his own bathroom and lightly toweled his hair dry, feeling his chest tighten strangely.  
He had just helped a strange, foreign boy reach orgasm with a shower head.

Roughly pushing the thought out of his head and still feeling oddly warm, Seto sat down at his desk and flipped his computer open, once again accessing his bank accounts.

He had his balances all open in front of him, and he quickly checked his statements, staring at the commas and numbers on his screen.

Seto sat back in his chair, disoriented.  
There had been no withdrawals from any of his accounts.

 _What the fucking hell?!_ Seto glared at his screen before deciding to go through his internet history. He opened the Dark browser and scrolled through the sets of links again, searching for the link with the strange language.

Unsurprisingly, the website had vanished. They had probably moved addresses due to the despicable nature of their product.

 _That boy was definitely sent to the wrong address_ , _probably even the wrong country,_ Seto fumed as he closed his accounts and checked his email. _Well, too bad for whoever paid for him. I guess he's mine now._

He scrolled through his email aimlessly, trying to keep his mind blank, furiously ignoring the erection in his pants. That boy was getting to him with his goddamn expressions.

Back inside the guest room, Yami was sitting on the white couch, wearing the fluffy robe, happy that he was clean, but deeply dreading the return of his owner. He knew it was only a matter of time before the handsome man would come storming back in to rape him.

Was his owner giving him time to himself? To...mentally prepare?  
Did his owner make him feel good first, on purpose, so it would make up for being hurt later?

Yami drew his knees up to his chest, looking towards the window and out into the distance, past the tips of the pointed trees surrounding the large property. The sky was turning orange and he wondered how long he had been waiting for the owner to come back. The sun was setting.

There was no clock in this room and he was getting hungrier and hungrier. Yami stared at the brown table in front of him, laden heavily with food, and he forced himself to look away. He would not eat it. Everything was drugged, he was sure of it.

Yami laid down onto the couch, feeling dizzy and light headed. The stacks of food on the table began to blur in his vision as he drifted off into a hungry slumber.

Isono peered into the foreign boy's room and found that he was fast asleep on the couch, wearing nothing but a thick, fluffy bathrobe. He closed the door swiftly and walked into the room adjacent from him and knocked.

"Enter." Seto said, sounding tired.

"The boy has not eaten." Isono said slowly, bobbing his head politely. "I think we should try to get him to eat before morning."

"What?" Seto snapped, shutting his laptop lid with a snap. What the actual fuck. The kid was starving himself. "I'll take care of it." he said, watching Isono bow and exit the room quietly.

 _What the hell is wrong with this kid?_ Seto thought as he strode across the hall and entered the boy's room. _He just had a rough orgasm and he's still not hungry? What the hell do I have to do to get him to eat?_

He closed the door quietly behind him and noticed the boy fast asleep on the white couch. The bathrobe was hiked up around his hips and Seto could see the soft curve of his lower buttcheeks peeking out from beneath the fluffy fabric. Sighing, Seto sat down on the couch beside the kid's feet and waited to him to wake up.

Yami felt his stomach rumbling painfully as he slowly opened his eyes, bracing himself for the smell of urine to flood his sense. Nothing.  
He sat up quickly, blinking in the growing darkness, suddenly remembering where he was.  
The large room was dark grey, and the only light came from the large window above his head, but the sun had set completely. The night sky was dark blue and covered with grey clouds. How long had he been asleep? Had he slept through a whole day?

Yami stretched and froze when his toes brushed over something warm. He recoiled his foot quickly, realizing it was his owner! It was so dark he hadn't seen his owner, sitting on the other side of the couch! Yami held his breath, carefully edging closer. His owner was asleep, with his arm propped up on one side, the other folded in his lap.

Yami swallowed and stared at his owner's hands. Why were his nails so nicely shaped? Was he born that way?  
Yami had never seen anyone this handsome, up close, with such pretty features before.

In the dark, he could make out a set of soft lips, which dipped down into a strong jaw.

 _He is very much a man,_ Yami gulped, inching back. He has slender features like a woman...His eyes traveled lower across his owner's slender chest and long legs.

Suddenly his owner shifted and opened his eyes.

Yami leapt back and fell off the couch in his surprise, his bathrobe lifting up off his crotch as he landed painfully down on the floor. Terrified, Yami quickly re-adjusted the robe around his waist, blushing furiously, frantically climbing to his feet.

Yami backed away to the furthest corner of the room, his head spinning with hunger, his ears ringing terribly. His vision was fading into green.

Seto had felt a movement beside him and quickly woke up. He saw the boy fall off the couch in surprise and land on his ass. Seto smirked as he stood to flip the lights on, realizing the kid wasn't on the floor anymore, but on the other side of the room, staring at him haughtily.

Yami blinked tightly as the lights in the room caused him to sway slightly on the spot, his vision still fading slightly into green. He was weak with hunger. He tried his best to glare at his owner. _Stay away from me!_ Yami thought furiously, crossing his arms stubbornly.

Sighing, Seto sat down on the couch again and picked up the peach, making sure to take a large, visible bite out of it. He chewed thoughtfully while watching the boy stare at him, horrified.

 _Oh Jesus fucking Christ, just come sit here and eat already before you faint. You've had your blood drawn!_ Seto growled internally, patting the seat beside him, trying to keep the frustration from showing on his face.

Yami was frozen with fear, watching his owner pat the seat next to him. This man had finally come into his room to dirty him, but he was taking his time with it. If he took a bite out of the peach, that meant it wasn't drugged, at least, that one wasn't...right?

Yami's mouth watered painfully as he watched his owner take another bite out of the peach, purposely, showing him that he was enjoying it.

 _C-Could I have some? Or is he baiting me on purpose?_ Yami wondered faintly scrambling to recall the nameless boy's advice. This owner seemed gentle, but Yami knew this could very well be an act.  
It could get rough if he tested this man's patience.

Yami swallowed tightly, clenching his fists at his sides, unsure of what to do. He had seen his owner's anger, more than once, in the span of less than a day. This man had spent most of his waking hours angry; yelling at his handlers, yelling at the doctor, being impatient with the boy Mokuba...

The nameless boy's voice came creeping into his mind again and Yami felt his knees grow weak as he recalled what the boy had said.

_"He would sit and stare, and just let me come to him. Those times, he would let me do whatever I wanted...on top of him, so, if you don't like pain, that might be the best way."_

Surely, that's not what's happening now, is it?! Yami thought hazily, blinking as the room began to spin dangerously. He felt like he was about to collapse, either from fear or hunger, Yami wasn't sure.

Seto watched the boy waver and sway mightily, and he patted the seat next to him, harder this time. _Come the fuck over here before you fucking fall over with hunger! You look like you're about to faint!_

Seto bit the inside of his lip and picked up the last peach from the bowl, waving it at the boy and pointing at himself and then to his mouth, and then back again to the couch. _I'm going to eat this last peach. It_ was _for you, but now it's mine. Get your ass over here. I'm not going to drag you over here because I'm fucking exhausted!_ Seto fumed, patting the spot beside him viciously.

Yami understood perfectly and he trembled where he stood. _He's not coming to get me!_ Yami realized and he swallowed nervously _. He'll eat the last peach, it was for me...! He's making me sit there beside him!_

Yami glanced at his owner's face, which now looked impatient, and he knew anger wasn't too far behind. Yami racked his brain, trying desperately to remember anything that could help.

Finally, Yami managed to dredge up another piece nameless boy's advice from the recesses of his hunger-clouded mind.

_"If he's really feeling in a good mood after you pleasure him, he'll take you outside and buy you gifts. Those are the times, you can look for escape!"_

I can get him to take me outside...! Yami realized, and he nodded at his owner, steeling himself to walk forwards, approaching the couch. He hovered on the other side of the table, staring at his owner who nodded back encouragingly and patted the seat again.

 _If I pleasure him... he'll take me outside..._ Yami thought faintly _, How do I do that? Wrestle with him? Use the shower head the way he did with me?_

Yami suddenly had a terrible flashback of the way the fat, sweaty guard pushed his body up against him and disgustingly sucked on his lower lip.

TH-THAT?! Yami drew a breath shakily, feeling cold all over as his eyes began to water. _Well...it's much cleaner here...and his lips look very nice...He might even give me food that won't be drugged if I pleasure him._

Seto watched the boy stare at him and sway slightly where he stood, looking like he was about to faint.

 _I give up, this is exhausting._ Seto thought darkly, watching the spiky-haired teen hover in front of the table and waver, his large violet eyes darting from him, to the bowl, and back to him. _If he faints, he'll get an IV drip in his arm and that'll teach him a lesson,_ Seto thought ruefully and he slid his phone out from his pocket, checking his email, trying to keep his temper in check. _He obviously wants to eat, why the fuck..._

The boy moved suddenly. He circled the table quickly and stood directly in front of him, his eyes wide and unblinking. Seto leaned back and carefully slid one leg over the other and crossed his arms, giving the boy a haughty look. _What do you want?_

Yami watched as the owner gave him a challenging look, crossing all of his limbs and leaning back into the plush couch. _Oh._..Yami swallowed thickly, his horror rising, _He really is letting me do as I please...for my first time, that's...incredibly kind._

Gathering all of his courage, Yami climbed onto the couch and straddled the man's slender legs, pressing his palms down on either side of his owner's head, staring deeply into his clear blue gaze, his heart threatening to stop in his chest at any moment.

Seto tensed, swallowing thickly as he felt the boy's balls press onto his knee as he straddled him. He blinked, feeling himself heat up at the boy's angular gaze, his eyes were still fearful.

 _What the...?_ Seto blinked and tilted his head. _What are you doing? What do you want?! Maybe... get off me...please! Jesus...!_

Seto patted the seat beside him again, his hand shaking. He knew if he spoke, it would confuse the boy even further.

Yami watched his owner blink at him and pat the seat again.

 _No_ , Yami thought darkly, _it will be easier for me here. You like me on top of you, I know, because you're moving your leg._

Seto was briefly considering kneeing the boy in the balls, just to get him to fuck off. It took a huge effort for him to stay steady as he reached forward to grab the boy's slender hips, attempting to lift him off.

Yami felt his owner snake his hands around his waist gently and move his hips up, but Yami held his ground, tightening his stance over his owner's crossed legs.

 _Y-You don't have to touch me, I can show you.._.Yami thought weakly, lifting up the edge of his robe to flash his owner his front. _I know you like me here. Please, touch me here instead ...and leave my hole alone._

Seto watched as the boy lifted the hem of his robe to briefly give him a glimpse of his flaccid penis.

What the ...actual... fuck.

Seto bit back a delirious laugh. What did this kid want?! Was he asking for another boner? Was that why he was refusing to eat?

 _Jesus Christ! Food first! I know that boner felt good, and that you've probably never felt anything like it before, but you could please...just...eat!_  
Seto shook his head and lifted the peach up to the boy's mouth. _E A T ...Goddammit!_

He watched as the boy settled himself further down onto his knee, clearly getting too comfortable, accepting the peach with both hands, staring at it.  
_Eat it_. Seto growled internally, pushing the boy's hands upwards, roughly bumping the peach along his lower lip.

Yami dared himself to inhale the sweet scent from the fresh peach he was holding in his hands. His owner was demanding he eat it before they did anything else. It was already more than half-finished, Yami figured it wasn't drugged after all. He quickly took a bite and felt the crisp sweetness fill his mouth wonderfully.

 _Oh...it tastes heavenly!_ Yami's legs trembled as he took another bite, and another, feeling the delicious coldness slide down this throat and drop into his empty stomach.

He was dripping the peach juice all down his chin, but he didn't care. He was too hungry. He took another bite and felt extremely dismayed as his teeth grazed along the pit. Another..! Could he have another? What if he pleased his owner really well?! Would he be fed peaches like this for the rest of his stay here?

Seto watched as the boy ate the peach delicately, despite how hungry he was. He was getting the juices all over his chin and Seto felt his stomach clench again.  
Was this boy being ...seductive?  
Because it wasn't working.  
Or maybe it was...Seto wasn't sure. He was still trying to figure out how he felt about giving the boy his first orgasm in the shower just a few hours ago. Now that he had done that, this boy had come back for more. Had he fucked up?

 _Yeah, I fucked up_ , Seto thought viciously to himself.  
This was why he actively avoided virgins.  
The burden of responsibility for showing them a good time was too heavy.  
He preferred his partners to be experienced; he didn't enjoy babying.

Yami finished the peach and held the pit in his hands, wondering if he could keep it. He began to close his fingers around it but his owner pried it out of his hands and tossed into an empty bowl with a low thunk. Yami swallowed, feeling the peach linger on his lips as he licked them, looking imploringly into his owner's eyes, silently begging for another. Did he need to earn it?

Seto watched the kid look at him and blink slowly, as if he was asking for either…another peach, or an orgasm. Seto couldn't be sure, because he looked so damn hopeful.

Yami waited, blinking hopefully. His owner wasn't doing anything.

 _He's waiting for me to do something_ , Yami realized and he gathered every ounce of his courage to press his peach-soaked lips down onto his owner's lips.

Seto felt the wetness from the boy's chin touch his as their lips met and he jerked back readily, watching as the boy gasped and shuddered, staring frantically at him.

 _Aw...Did I hurt your feelings,_ Seto thought savagely, tasting the peach from the boy's lips on his. _Get off me. Learn how to jerk yourself off before you even begin to think about trying this with me again._

Yami felt his owner lean away quickly and glare at him.

 _I did it badly!_ Yami realized, fear shooting through him like an ice-cold knife. His owner gave him a rough shove, causing him to fall sideways onto the couch.

 _I..I can do it better...if you'd let me..!_ Yami thought weakly, his head spinning as he struggled to sit up.

Seto stood quickly, his heart pounding as he backed away from the boy, who appeared to struggle with maintaining his composure.

 _Yeah, sorry, I don't fuck with virgins._ Seto thought angrily, moving towards the door. _Too burdensome._

His hand had barely touched the door handle when he felt the boy jump off the couch and rush towards him.

 _Wh-What..no! Get ..the fuck away!_ Seto thought, horrified as the boy wrapped his deeply tanned arms around his waist, clinging to him desperately, looking up at him with those large, violet eyes again.

 _Fucking...god!_ Seto grit his teeth and swept the teen up in his arms and carried him back over to the couch, throwing him back down roughly and pointing at the bowls of food. _EAT!_

And he left quickly, almost running out of the room in his haste. He slammed the door behind him so loudly, the sound echoed up and down the hallway.

Seto was shaking from head to toe as he leaned against the door heavily, turning the lock with stiff fingers. This kid... needed professional help! He needed to see that brain scan and blood test as soon as humanly possible.

Mokuba peeked out of his room again, looking scared, "What happened?"

"Stay away from him." Seto said gruffly, sounding breathless. "And don't let him touch you."

Mokuba stared at his older brother who was leaning against the door, looking visibly shaken, guessing that the boy had probably touched Seto. "He's a foreigner." Mokuba said, shrugging, "What did you expect?"  
From his experience, Mokuba knew that some foreigners enjoyed casual hugging and kissing.

"Whatever." Seto said furiously, storming back into his room and slamming that door too.

Yami sat very still, his heart thudding loudly in his ears, as he heard voices from behind the door. The boy Mokuba's voice, sounding frightened, and his owner's voice, sounding gruff, and then a door slamming.

Yami blinked, feeling a tricking horror consume him. He had just done something terrible and now the Mokuba boy was on the receiving end of his bad behavior!

Yami drew his knees up to his chest, feeling it becoming harder to breathe.  
He felt miserable. Mokuba didn't deserve rough treatment from the owner because he was incompetent himself.

Yami leaned his head down on his knee, feeling desperate and hungry. His owner didn't even give him a chance before he went to enjoy Mokuba instead!

 _At least..._ my _hole is safe._ Yami thought miserably, _At the expense of Mokuba's hole._

Yami didn't have the energy to cry. He needed to conserve every bit of his strength

He took another deep shuddering breath. He needed to thank the boy Mokuba at the first chance, the next time they came face to face.

* * *

**Author's note:**

How. Was. That?! Tell me what you think! I updated early! Because you asked! And when you ask, you receive!

next chapter up **10/28/17**

Hugs,  
Ugli


	4. I couldn’t love

Seto was sitting at his desk, trying to calm his rage as he scrolled through numbers on his phone.

 _What the fuck should I do_ , Seto thought darkly, staring at a group phone numbers in his screen as he contemplated calling a tutor. _I called him a doctor, that went...well. How will I know he won't jump the tutor the same way he did to me?!_

Seto set his phone down and shook his head. _Too soon to do anything. I need that fucking blood test goddammit._

He stared at the back of his phone again, his chrome logo gleaming at him, reflecting the moonlight shining in from the window behind his head. _Well, there is one thing I could do._

Seto slid his laptop closer towards himself and pulled up a series of specialists, looking for a dermatologist. He found one with an office in a remote corner of Domino City and he quickly tapped the number in his phone. Seto glanced at the clock, his anxiety rising. It was almost 8:30pm. Would anyone even pick up?

The phone rang once, twice, and on the third ring, a woman answered politely, "Dr. Shu's office, we are closing soon. Are you calling to reschedule an appointment? Or confirming an appointment?"

Seto ignored this and spoke pointedly, "I need to speak with the doctor personally."

"I'm sorry," The woman replied calmly, "He is with another patient. If you have any questions, please call back tomorrow."

"Tell him…..it's Seto Kaiba." Seto said darkly, gripping his phone. He hated pulling a stunt like this, given the dangerous situation concerning the boy's illegal status, but he needed information now.

Seto heard a faint clatter on the other end and she stammered back in his ear, "I will tell him th-that, please hold." And the line fell silent.

 _Would this doctor accept cash...?_ Seto wondered faintly, knowing that the Japanese government kept strict records of anything tattoo related. This was getting into dangerous territory. The tattoo was potentially incriminating.  
And it would negatively affect the rest of the boy's life ...if he did manage to assimilate.

"Mr. Kaiba." A deep voice answered the phone, "I don't believe we've met."

"We have not, and apologies for interrupting a meeting with your patient." Seto said stiffly. He needed this doctor to like him, otherwise he would spend the rest of his night calling around and leaving incriminating messages.

"The meeting just ended, you have good timing." The doctor replied smoothly, "Is there something I can do for you?"

Which question was less condemning: _"Do you accept cash?"_ or _"Can you remove a tattoo on a foreigner who is in this country illegally?"_

Fucking shit. I'll take the long way around, Seto thought slowly, choosing his words carefully, knowing the doctor would pick up on his heavy implications, "Do you perhaps know anything about…. tattoo removal? I have a friend, who needs a consultation."

There was a long silence on the other end and Seto felt himself sweat as he could feel the doctor analyzing his sentence.

 _"Consultation"_ meaning appointment, " _friend"_ meaning a stranger.

"Does your friend have a skin condition? And how large is the rash?" The doctor responded cryptically.

Skin condition…? Seto paused. No, the boy's skin was healthy, beautiful...tanned and smooth. You couldn't get a tattoo if you had a rash! …. Wait.

 _"Rash_ " meaning, the doctor was inquiring about the size of the tattoo, and " _skin condition_ " meant he wanted to know if his "friend" was a foreigner.

Seto realized the doctor was agreeing, but only slightly.  
He wanted to feel out the situation before accepting...

"Yes, a small one." Seto said carefully, "On his wrist. Would you be keeping a file on his skin condition...at your offices?"

 _Please say no, I'll pay anything_. Seto thought, gripping the edge of his desk tightly.

"I'll have to see." The doctor said simply, "Send a few photos to the email listed on my website. Please title it "Skin Condition" and I will tell you how many visits it will take. You can pay by the visit, if your friend's rash is...manageable."

 _Oh thank god!_ Seto thought frantically, "Thank you, thank you so much, I appreciate it." He meant every word. If the kid had his tattoo removed, it might make him act differently.

"Very well. Tomorrow, I have an opening at 2:00PM for 45 minutes. Make time." And the doctor hung up on him.

Seto set his phone back down at his desk, feeling slightly better. Now, to get a photo of the boy's wrist _._

 _I'll educate him so he can pass a fucking citizenship test, file his visa, and then I'll throw him the fuck out,_ Seto thought furiously, picking up his phone and moving towards the door _, He's too perverted for his own damn good._

He quickly crossed the hallway and found Isono exiting the boy's room.

"Ah Mr. Kaiba." Isono said, nodding. "The boy still hasn't eaten."

Seto felt eyelid twitch irritably. Seems like he still hadn't fixed the eating problem yet. "Wrap him several rice balls and I'll see if he'll eat those throughout the day. I'll be staying home tomorrow as well."

"Another day off work?" Isono asked incredulously, "Did something happen?"

"Yes." Seto said, moving towards the boy's door and clicking the lock open, "I'm taking him to see a dermatologist. He has a tattoo on his wrist."

Isono's eyes widened. He hadn't noticed a tattoo anywhere on the boy's body, much less somewhere so visible. Master Kaiba was sharp as ever. Isono bowed and watched Kaiba enter the room and shut the door heavily behind him.

Yami heard the lock click and his owner's voice growing louder and closer. He bounded off the couch and stood in the center of the room, adjusting his robe around him carefully. His owner was coming back! To...do what? Dirty his hole? Was he not satisfied with his Mokuba? He threw a frantic glance out the window across the darkened sky. The night was just beginning.  
Yami swallowed nervously and stood his ground, clenching his fists tightly.

His eyes lingered over the empty brown table, feeling hollow. He had watched the servant quickly take away all the sweets, right after his owner had left angrily.

Now if he proved himself, perhaps he could earn some real food...

Seto stepped into the room and closed the door behind him softly, staring at the boy, who was standing resolutely in the center of the room, as if he was waiting for him to come in.

 _Well, at least he's not hiding_. Seto thought darkly, moving steadily towards him.

To his great surprise, the boy stood his ground, his hands clenched tightly at his sides.

"May I see your palm?" Seto asked, holding his hands out upwards. He had forgotten which hand it was, so he needed to see both.

Yami shook slightly, watching his owner speak to him and hold his hands out in front of him.

 _Hold…his hands…I can do that._ Yami thought weakly, gently placing his palms into his owner's hands, wrapping his fingers around his owner's slender wrists.

Seto twitched, feeling the boy's warm hands close over his, causing his arms to heat up. _What? No! ...Wrong! I'm not asking you to_ hold _my hands, I want to_ see _your hands._

Seto yanked his hands back and grabbed the boy's right hand, turning his palm up forcefully, searching for the tattoo.  
There was nothing there.  
It was on his left wrist.

"Other hand." Seto said roughly, reaching for the boy's other arm which had disappeared behind his back.

 _Oh my god, give me your other fucking...hand...! I need a photo!_ Seto leaned forwards struggling to wrench the boy's arm out from behind his back.  
He felt the boy pull back harder, resisting him stubbornly.

 _What the fuck!_ Seto let go of him and stared at him angrily, his frustration rising.

Yami backed away, his terror rising faster and quicker than before. His owner was being rough now, and he wanted to look at his hands. Yami swallowed, remembering his owner's deep frown the last time he touched his hands.

 _If you don't like my hands, you don't have to look at them!_ Yami shook his head insistently as his owner's iron grip tightened around his elbow, trying to pull his hand out from behind his back. _I'll let you touch me anywhere else...!_

 _Okay, I have tried...just about everything!_ Seto fumed, _I asked nicely, I bribed him with fruit, I asked nicely again...and he knows! He knows I want to see his hand and he's hiding it from me on purpose! This little shit!_

He watched as the boy shook his head again, blinking his large violet eyes at him fearfully.

 _He's afraid...or he's embarrassed._ Seto thought, watching the boy's expressions carefully. _Fine. There's one thing I know he wants, and it's for his dick to get hard, right?_

Seto pointed at the bed and narrowed his eyes. Get on the bed.

Yami followed his owner's slender finger pointed at the bed and he nodded, feeling his chest swoop and dip down nervously. He slowly climbed onto the bed, feeling his trembling knees sink deeply to the mattress.

 _I'll never be able to sleep on this bed,_ Yami thought bitterly, _I will only know pain and suffering on this bed._

Seto watched as the boy got shakily onto the bed and he saw his chance as the boy wobbled. He placed a strong hand in the middle of the boy's back and pushed him down heavily into the bed, face-down.

Yami felt the air leave his lungs as he fell face-first into the soft sheets, his owner's hand pressed firmly across his shoulder blades, twisting his arm behind his back.

Terrified, Yami struggled upwards, but he felt a knee pressing firmly between his asscheeks and he bit back tears as his heart began to skip beats in his chest.  
His owner wasn't being gentle anymore. This was going to hurt!

 _Good. Stay fucking still.. you little…_ Seto growled as he held the boy down and twisted the tattooed wrist up to face him, one hand slipping into his pocket to grab his phone, using his knee to press the boy down firmly.

Seto felt the boy's robe riding up on his knee and he tried not to stare at the perky, rounded cheeks, which were just asking to be groped and spread.

 _You stay still, and think about what the fuck you're asking for_! Seto thought angrily, shoving his knee deeper between the boy's butt cheeks, _Sex between men, happens in here, okay?! It's not rainbows and fucking butterflies, it'll hurt!_

The boy froze and Seto quickly took this opportunity to snap three photos of the boy's wrist, once using flash, the other two without. The doctor didn't specify how he wanted the photos so Seto was covering all his bases.

Yami felt a hot tear curl down his cheek as his arm began to grow numb. His owner was taking a photo of his behind...! How dirty! Did he like this sort of thing?! Would he spare his hole ...if he took a good photo?

Seto watched, horrified, as the boy wiggled his ass deeper down onto his knee, so much that he could see the outline of his pink asshole.

 _I'm not photographing your ass! Jesus._ Seto felt his chest tighten uncomfortably as he released the kid and stalked out of the room, making sure to lock the door again.

His knee began burning and chafing with a strange ghostly sensation.

 _What a little ..fucking..perv_.

Was every encounter with this boy going to be like this?  
Seto palmed his face painfully as he thoroughly regretting indulging the boy in the shower. That was the thing he hated with virgins. You show them something "cool and new" once, and they'll never shut the fuck up about it.

He was about to enter his room when he saw Isono coming up the grand staircase, carrying a tray of rice balls.

"Isono, stay away from him." Seto said stiffly, trying to keep his composure as the image of the boy's pink asshole kept resurfacing to the front of his mind. "Leave the food quickly and don't linger."

Isono paused, noticing the slight panic in Kaiba's voice. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, the foreigner touched Seto." Mokuba said, coming up the stairs behind Isono, carrying a large glass of milk, "Probably again. Why do you keep going in there if he keeps being weird?"

Isono coughed lightly and Seto answered Mokuba readily, "He's got a tattoo on his wrist. I'm getting it removed, and then hiring a tutor, so we can at least communicate."

"Oh! That would be cool!" Mokuba said, nodding enthusiastically. "I like seeing foreigners speak our language."

 _Yeah, whatever._ Seto thought furiously as he turned to enter his room, closing the door stiffly behind him.

Yami sat on the bed, trembling and shaking, unable to believe his luck. His plan had worked! Did that mean his owner wasn't coming back into his room for the rest of the night? Could he sleep in this bed without worry?

_"Sometimes, he would come into my room at night while I was sleeping and I would wake up with him on top of me. Those would be the times I'd bleed the worst."_

Yami shuddered, trying to push the nameless boy's voice from out of his head. His owner had shown restraint towards him...and had went to Mokuba instead. Perhaps he was safe...even if it was only for one night.

 _No_ , Yami shook his head viciously _. I will remain awake all night. I will fight him if he comes back!_

Suddenly the door lock clicked open and Yami jumped. He looked up and was relieved to see it was the servant, bringing him more food.

The servant left without bowing and closed the door too hard, clicking the lock again.

Yami stared at the little round triangles on the plate, and slowly began to understand. This food was not drugged...probably. The servant had not bowed, and he had just successfully pleased his owner.  
This was a reward!

Yami leapt off the bed and ran over to the table, picking up the triangles with great interest. And this food, Yami noticed, was visibly less fancy-looking. It was plain rice wrapped in an odd, green leaf. Prison food.

 _Well I'll definitely eat this!_ Yami thought triumphantly, remembering the heaps of sweets and fruits on the table. His owner was smart, but he could be smarter. He was armed with information. Protect your hole, learn everything, escape.

Yami took a bite, and chewed thoughtfully. There was a sour filling, which tasted odd, but he was too hungry to care. He finished all five of the triangles and felt extremely full. He sat down shakily on the couch, looking around at all the doors surrounding his room. Now that eating had moved down on the list of his priorities, Yami decided he would explore the room as much as possible.

It was completely dark outside now, and Yami guessed it was almost midnight. The house had gone quiet and there were no more voices, or the opening and closing of doors.

Yami wondered if there were more servants in the house he had yet to see. He swallowed tightly, remembering the three burly body guards holding him down while the doctor inserted needles into his arm.

Of course, there were more servants in the house, he would be stupid to think otherwise!

The one servant he kept seeing was probably the owner's personal manservant.

Yami paced the room methodically, counting his steps as he walked. He wanted to know this room like the back of his hand. Should his owner ever enter the room angry, he could run or hide and know exactly how many long or short steps to took to each door.

Every door on each wall was locked except for one, a sliding door. And that was a closet. It had mirrored doors and Yami stared at himself, blinking. His skin looked dark against the white robe he was wearing. He hugged himself, wishing he had some actual clothes to wear.

He knew why he was being kept in a robe, and he tried very hard not to think about it.

Yami decided to go around the room again and try all the locked doors. He even opened the drawers in his nightstand and found a beaded necklace, a bottle of perfume, a pad of paper with a pen, and a remote.

 _He keeps a woman around...!_ Yami realized, his heart sinking. Then he slapped himself mentally for feeling disappointed. He needed to stop holding his owner to such high regards. He probably had multiple women throughout the week. He was handsome and rich.

Feeling bitter, Yami picked up the remote and held it up to the light. The buttons were labeled with words in the strange language. He glanced back down at the pad of paper. Even if he couldn't read it, he could write it. Yami grabbed the pad of paper and pushed the drawer shut with his hip.

He would find a place to hide this too. He would learn this language any way he could.

Yami sat down on the floor, propping his elbows up on the low table and he began to copy each section of text beneath each button. He was sure they were grouped together like words, some were difficult to write, and some were just a simple swirl and a slash. How interesting.

Before long, he had filled the page on the tiny pad. Yami held it up, comparing his handwriting to how the characters were printed on the remote.  
His was terrible.  
He could do better.  
He had a whole pad to practice on. And the whole night to pass.

Yami heard a rustle from the hallway behind him and he ignored it. He wouldn't be sleeping tonight. Tonight, he would learn how to perfectly write these characters.

Seto looked up from his computer when he heard the doorknob rattle. It was coming from the connecting door leading into the guest room.

 _Oh, he's probably testing all the doors,_ Seto thought tiredly. He resumed typing and forgot about it for a moment before he heard the rattle again.

 _Seriously?!_ Seto thought angrily, _It's locked, okay? Rattling it more isn't going to magically unlock it. Leave it the fuck alone!_

How long would they be keeping this boy? Seto sat back in his chair and stretched, feeling exhausted. He contemplated installing a camera into the room next door, just so he could avoid going in _._

 _Yeah I'm going to do that_ , Seto decided, making a mental note to grab some cameras on his way out from the office tomorrow.

Seto closed his eyes for a moment and sighed.

Suddenly his phone buzzed loudly across his desk and Seto sat up quickly.

The sky outside his tall windows was turning a light blue and he realized he had fallen asleep at his desk. Fuck!

His phone buzzed loudly again, rattling across his desk and Seto glanced at the screen. It was Mr. Aki.

 _Blood test results!_ Seto thought excitedly as he answered it quickly, "Mr. Aki."

"Kaiba-kun, good morning." The doctor enunciated, sounding grim, and Seto felt his heart sink into his stomach.  
This was not good.  
He had definitely found drugs in the boy's system.

"Yes." Seto said, gripping the phone tightly, fully awake now.

"Well, he is in good health." Mr. Aki said carefully, "The only strange thing we found in his blood were...trace amounts of Ketamine."

"Ketamine?" Seto echoed incredulously, his ears ringing slightly. _Horse tranquilizer?!_

"Yes. It was good you ordered this test." The doctor continued, "It was only a tiny bit of Ketamine. Probably used to anesthetize the boy, considering how much he struggled when we had to draw his blood. Thankfully, he his blood is clean and he is free of disease. Have you gotten to know him better?"

"He has a tattoo on his wrist," Seto responded quickly, "And I am working to get it removed. Other than that, I can't seem to communicate too well with him."

Once again, the image of the boy's pink asshole shoved up on his knee hovered to the surface of his mind. Seto shut his eyes tightly and internally cursed at himself.

"I see. I can come back next week if you like." The doctor said kindly.

"I will bring him in for the brain scan if I can manage it." Seto said quietly, "Thank you Mr. Aki."

"Of course, Kaiba-kun. Good luck with the foreigner. I have sympathy for your situation." And he hung up.

Seto sighed and rubbed his temples, thankful that the boy was clean, but it was like the obstacles just kept coming, and it was only 5 in the morning. Lord have mercy.

His phone buzzed lightly again and Seto glanced at the screen halfheartedly. Isono had sent him a text.

_"Mr. Kaiba, please come downstairs and sign for a package as soon as possible."_

_Another one?!_ Seto thought angrily, hurrying down the stairs to answer the door _. That sick person who purchased this boy needs to fucking change their delivery address! I can't even do a reverse search because the website doesn't fucking exist anymore!_

Isono was standing apprehensively by the door and Seto pulled it open stiffly, dreading what he would see.

It was a regular delivery boy, carrying a medium-sized cardboard box.

"Good morning, here is your package." The boy said, unsmiling, handing him an electronic pad.

Seto signed it quickly as Isono accepted the package from the boy. The boy bowed and left, and Seto watched with great relief as he drove off his property in the delivery vehicle.

 _Well at least it wasn't men with guns delivering anything this time,_ Seto thought darkly.

Isono seemed to share the same sentiment and he set the package on the floor. "It's too early for surprises Mr. Kaiba."

"Speaking of surprises," Seto said readily, "The men with guns claimed there was a purchase upon the arrival of the boy. Well, there was no such purchase from any of my accounts."

Isono nodded darkly, "I see. How horrible." This was strange indeed. Was this someone's idea of an elaborate prank? Mr. Kaiba was planning on being absent from work for the second day!

Seto nodded and picked the package up from the floor. It felt oddly light and he was immediately concerned. He needed to make sure this wasn't something sinister.

"I'll open this in the privacy of my office." Seto said darkly and he hurried up the stairs, trying to ignore Isono's worried frown.

He closed the door softly behind him and set the package on his desk. Seto shook it and heard the contents thump softly up and down.

 _Its cloth._ Seto realized as he set it down and carefully peeled the tape off the edges to open the box. He peered inside and saw a pair of plain black canvas shoes. _What..the..?!_

Seto picked them up and stared at them, turning them over in his hands. They were too large for Mokuba, and obviously too small for him. Seto swallowed nervously. _What the hell was this?! ...Human Doll Incorporated? Buy yourself a human and you get to dress him how you like? Sick fucks...!_

Sitting underneath the shoes was a pair of underwear, socks, neatly folded slacks with a matching collared shirt. All unbranded and without tags. Strange.

 _Gross_ , Seto thought, shoving the box aside and holding up the plain black collared shirt for a closer inspection. _I wouldn't want to be caught in public with the boy if he wore this shit around me._

But the arrival of these clothes had been timed oddly well. He was taking the boy out to the dermatologist today, and he was still wearing that bathrobe from last night.

Seto shuddered and laid the clothes out on his bed. Whatever. He could take the boy shopping if he behaved himself at the dermatologist. He had to take the day off anyway. Would it be safe to take him out into public? Would he try to run again?

That would be extremely bad. He could be arrested and then deported.

Even worse, his company would probably receive bad PR about housing an illegal foreigner and his stocks would tank.

How could he communicate all of this to the boy?

He glanced at the adjoining door leading into the guest room, and Seto decided he'd enter through there. That way the boy would know that the doors were connected, so maybe he would stop rattling the doorknobs at three in the fucking morning.

Seto slowly unlocked the door and creaked it open, not wanting to scare the boy. There was no sound coming from behind the door, so Seto peeked into the room through the crack and received a slight shock.

The boy was fast asleep, his spiky head face-down on the table, his fingers lightly holding a pen.

 _Where the fuck did he get that?!_ Seto wondered, confused. He quietly stepped into the room, carefully approaching the table.

There was a pad of paper resting beneath the pen and Seto blinked, wondering what the boy was writing. He could tear off a piece and bring it to a translator! Holy shit! The boy knew how to read and write! This was better than he could've expected! Could he slip the pad out from beneath the boy's hand without waking him?

He carefully inched the paper pad out from beneath the boy's arm and looked at the first page. His heart jumped up into his throat when he saw it was all in Japanese.

What's more, they were all random words like, "slow", "fast" and "timer".

 _Where is he getting this?!_ Seto thought, genuinely impressed as he flipped through the pad, page by page, realizing the boy's handwriting got neater and nicer as he neared the end of the pad.  
Amazing...! The boy had filled the entire pad, and he had even written on the cardboard backing. Maybe this kid wasn't so stupid after all!

 _He wrote on every space available...he's trying to learn the language!_ Seto realized as his eyes caught the word "vibrating" across one of the pages.

VIBRATING?! Seto thought, terrified, gripping the pad lightly, shocked to all hell.

Wait a fucking minute.  
He glanced back down at the table and saw a remote peeking out from underneath the sleeping boy's elbow.

His blood ran cold as he realized, it was probably the remote to the anal beads he'd forgotten about in the drawer beside the bed. Had he forgotten anything else in that damn drawer? Fuck.

Well.. _._ Seto stared at the remote in his hand and at the pad in his other hand. He could teach the boy a quick and lesson about what these words meant...since he was so eager to learn.

Suddenly, the boy shifted and looked up at him sleepily, his eyes slowly widening into large orbs filled with terror.

"Good morning." Seto said, smiling slightly, deeply amused.

Yami sat up so quickly he felt his back muscles tense painfully. He had accidentally fallen asleep! Now...he had been discovered...! Yami swallowed tightly, his terror and distress rising as he tried to smile back.  
He was going to be punished for trying to learn the language.  
He was sure of it.  
The nameless boy had warned him against letting the owner catch you learning the language. Here he was...caught.

"You want to learn what these words mean?" Seto said, speaking slowly, waving the pad and remote in front of the boy's face.

The boy shook his head frantically and Seto nodded at him.  
The boy shook his head again.

Amused, Seto gestured towards the drawer by the bed, motioning for the boy to follow him.

The boy shook his head at him again, blinking his violet eyes fearfully.

 _Oh..stop it, I'm going to show you something you're actually going to like. Maybe then you'll stop jumping me._ Seto growled internally, as he grabbed the boy's wrist lightly and pulled him to his feet.

Yami continuously shook his head, his mind and body numb with terror.  
He was being led over to the bed.

 _Night or day, it doesn't matter,_ Yami thought bitterly as tears began to form around the corners of his eyes, _My hole is not safe no matter what I do._

His robe was beginning to slip off his shoulders as his owner dragged him firmly towards the bed.

 _Quick...do something!_ Yami screamed at himself. _Say his name! It makes him drop things!_

"S-Seto..!" Yami cried, trying to twist his arm away as they stood at the edge of the bed. That had the opposite effect. His owner's grip tightened around his wrist.

 _That is his name, I'm sure of it!_ Yami thought frantically, looking around the room for an escape route. He noticed a door leading into another room was open! Could he break free of his owner and run into the other room?

Seto paused and gripped the boy tighter as he heard the him cry out his name again. _Yeah, and what's your name you little slut?_ Seto growled internally, shaking the boy's arm slightly, pointing at him.

Yami glanced down at his chest where his owner was pointing, as if to say, 'take it off'.

He shook his head.

"Seto." Seto said stiffly, pointing at himself, and then he aimed his finger at the boy's chest.

Yami's eyes widened as he realized his owner wanted to know his name. This could either be a good thing….or a bad thing.  
Yami decided to cooperate.  
If he behaved, his owner might let him leave the house...!

"Yami." Yami whispered quietly, staring deeply into his owner's clear blue eyes. He was so handsome it hurt to look at him too long.  
Yami looked away pointedly, feeling his face heating up against his will.

"Yami." Seto repeated, and he smiled a genuine smile. It was a nice name.

Yami heard his owner speak his name and he turned to blink and stare. It was the first time he had heard someone speak his name in a long time...and he trembled, a warm feeling curling up in his chest.

He watched as Seto pointed to the remote, and then to the paper pad, and then he nodded, smiling.

Yami swallowed tensely, his fear beginning to ease up the more he saw Seto smile. The man was so beautiful; his teeth were very white and his skin was so very pale.  
Did this mean he wasn't going to be punished?

Seto stepped aside and pointed at the drawer, motioning for Yami to open it. Yami nodded uncertainly and pulled the drawer open with a shaking hand.

Seto reached his hand inside and pulled out the beaded necklace, and then he pointed to the remote.

 _What?_ Yami thought faintly, _The remote goes to the necklace...?  
_ And he nodded, showing he understood. Suddenly, his fear vanished instantly, replaced with an enormous bubble of hope. Did this mean his owner was going to teach him the words on the remote?!

His owner reached into the drawer again and pulled out the bottle of perfume.

"Lube." Seto said gleefully, pointing at the bottle.

"Lube." Yami repeated, frowning.

Seto pointed to the necklace and then to the lube. He picked them up and tapped them together so that the beads hit the sides of the plastic bottle. He made a pouring motion over them and watched as Yami's expression grew more and more confused. This was going to be. _..fun._

Yami tried to understand what his owner was saying. You pour…the perfume…on the necklace. But why?!  
Yami had so many questions.

Seto sat on the bed and flipped through the pad, looking for where Yami had copied an entire page of the words "slow vibrate".

He held the pad up for Yami to see and patted the seat next to him, and to his pleasant surprise, Yami quickly joined him, pulling his knees up to his chest, looking extremely hopeful.

Seto set the pad down on the nightstand and stood up. Finally, he'd managed to get Yami on the bed…now, how did he want to do this?

 _Would Yami want to insert these beads himself?_ Seto mused, running his fingers across the beads _, or would I have to show him how to do that too?_

 _Well,_ Seto thought carefully, _Now that the kid is clean I can touch him, so, there's that._

Yami was looking at him so hopefully it was making his stomach turn. No, he couldn't do it. This kid was too fucking innocent. Seto set the beads and lube down onto the table and turned to leave.

Yami's eyes widened as he watched his owner change his mind _._

 _No no, no! Please!_ Yami thought frantically as he leaned forwards and grabbed his owner's arm, pulling him back to the bed. _I can do the lesson here, I will learn it anywhere!_

Dismayed, Yami watched his owner shake his head and brush him off his arm.  
What?!  
Yami was now angry. He knew his owner didn't like him as much as Mokuba, but he wasn't about to pass up a language lesson, even if it was with the strange perfume and ugly necklace.

 _Get back here!_ Yami thought furiously, hurrying after his owner who was almost at the door. Yami was roughly pushed off every time he managed to grab onto his owner's arm.

 _Holy shit...this fucker is persistent!_ Seto thought as Yami grabbed onto his arm for a fourth time. The boy was leaning his entire weight back, his bare feet dragging across the carpet as Seto moved steadily towards the door.

 _No..no!_ Yami's mind began racing. He knew the owner was just about to teach him, but something made him change his mind! He had to lure his owner back to the bed somehow...with the only thing he knew the owner would probably like; his hole...!

Yami grabbed desperately at his owner one more time and missed. He was running out of time! His owner was already at the door.

Yami let go of his owner and ran back to the bed. He climbed onto it quickly and laid back across the pillows, lifting his legs towards his face so that his knees almost touched his cheeks _,_ giving his owner a full view of his bottom.

Seto felt Yami's grip suddenly leave his arm and he felt relieved. He chanced a look behind him to see where the boy went and his heart stopped in his chest when he saw Yami had climbed onto the bed and spread himself widely, his legs high over his head, his hands on his ass.

Oh..my..god. Seto blinked, feeling himself grow slightly aroused.  
Nope. This was bad. He was leaving.

Yami stared at his owner from between the gap in his raised legs, watching him stare right back at him, shocked.

 _Yes..yes, come here!_ Yami thought, lifting up the edge of his robe and spreading his legs shakily, pointing at his hole. He palmed a hand over his penis and balls, covering them up and pointing at his hole again, showing that he meant business.

Seto gripped the door handle tightly, watching as Yami pointed at his pink asshole, looking almost ...angry.  
  
This kid...Seto sighed and shook his head.  
This boy probably didn't even know what he was talking about. Was this kid gay? He'd probably heard something somewhere about butts and penises, and thought this was the way to do things.  
Foreigners were scary.

 _I will...let you dirty me, if you teach me the language!_ Yami thought viciously, feeling his thighs stretch as he spread his legs wider. He lightly brushed a fingertip over his hole. He felt himself clench and he shot a look directly into his owner's clear blue eyes. _You're handsome... and it doesn't feel disgusting when you touch me, so I can endure it! I will endure it!_

Seto felt his hand slipping off the door handle as he saw Yami lightly brush a finger over his asshole. He saw it clench adorably.

Oh shit...Seto felt himself grow even more aroused, his legs rooted to the spot as a swirling feeling started rising up from his chest _. I'm not...gay but I'm not opposed to this...!_

"Seto!" Yami shouted, glaring and lowering his legs, crossing them firmly. His owner was so stupid! Why was he just standing there? Did he really not want his hole?!  
Then maybe he had done all that worrying and starving for nothing!

Yami briefly wondered what the boy Mokuba would do to get Seto's attention.  
He usually just yelled his name.

 _I did that!_ Yami thought angrily. He turned and grabbed the necklace, perfume, and pad from the nightstand and shoved them towards the end of the bed, closer towards his owner. He then sat back on his knees and glared.

 _Look! I want..to learn this!_ Yami pointed at the remote, to the pad of paper and then to himself, nodding vigorously. _You were going to teach me! Where are you going?!_

Seto lost his resolve the moment he heard Yami shout his name angrily.

 _Fine!_ Seto thought viciously, striding across the room towards the bed. _Fine, I will show you how to use these goddamn beads, and then you can masturbate all you want, all by your damn self._

Yami's eyes widened happily as he watched his owner sigh and let go of the door handle. He had successfully lured his owner back! Now, all he had to do was lie about giving him his hole until he learned what was on the remote.  
_Then I will kick him and run away_ , Yami thought to triumphantly to himself.

Seto felt himself shake slightly as he climbed onto the bed beside Yami. He sat very still, contemplating his next actions. This boy...was bought off a human trafficking website. He was labeled a virgin. Did he think it was his job to act like this?! Because this was very slutty behavior.

Seto felt slightly dizzy as he picked up the beads and ran his fingers over them nervously.

He looked over at Yami, appreciating how nicely his blond bangs framed his face. The boy was pretty, he wouldn't deny that. He had never touched another male intimately, because Seto always figured he preferred women...until now.  
The boy had somehow managed to get him to sit back down on the bed.

Funny how he was making fun of the kid in his head for being a virgin when he had never touched a man himself.  
Fuck.

 _If the beads led to sex, then so be it. He seems very eager._ Seto thought wearily, tightening his grip around the anal beads.

Seto held the beads up and tilted his head, watching Yami nod back at him. Okay..., a nod meant, yes.

He pointed at the lube and the remote, watching as Yami nodded again, leaning closer towards him.

 _Yes...all of those!_ Yami thought, repeating the word he had learned earlier, "Lube."

Seto let out a laugh and found that he couldn't stop. He reached a hand up to cover his eyes as his shoulders shook with laughter. This boy ...was going to be his first male experience! A stranger! A mail-order stranger!

Seto began to laugh even harder when he realized the Yami had managed to kiss him yesterday, with peach juice all over his chin, but he'd been too angry to even reciprocate.

 _Oh my god… he took ...my first male kiss..!_ Seto thought deliriously, gripping his sides, struggling to repress another bout of laughter. _And he didn't even know what he was doing!_

Yami smiled, watching his owner laugh genuinely. He had never heard his owner laugh before, and it sounded nice. He looked even more handsome when he smiled and Yami secretly wished his owner would smile more, preferably, at him.  
If this man was his owner forever, he would be okay with it.  
He had liked everything about this man so far, even though his anger was frightening sometimes, but Yami chalked that up to not understanding the language.

Seto managed to calm himself down and he took deep breaths, his shoulders still shaking slightly.

 _Okay, okay, let's start with…a kiss the way I like it_ , Seto thought as he shifted to face Yami on the bed.

Yami copied his movements and mirrored him exactly, sitting across from him, blinking expectantly.

 _His eyes are pretty._ Seto thought hazily as he reached both his hands forwards and cupped Yami's face in his hands. And his skin …..is so soft..

Yami's eyes widened as his owner touched his face gently, his blue eyes looking at him strangely. Yami felt himself grow hot. Suddenly, his owner's lips were on top of his mouth. They moved softly over his, and then more heavily. Yami felt his stomach clench as his owner smiled into the kiss and he felt teeth pressing into his top lip, and then his owner's mouth moved down over his again, kissing and sucking lightly over his top and bottom lip.  
Once, on his top lip, once across his bottom lip.

Yami trembled, feeling his chest flutter violently, his heart thudding so painfully it hurt to breathe. He parted his mouth and felt a soft, silky tongue brush over his lips.

Whenever Yami inhaled, all he could smell was his owner's sweet breath, and it caused goosebumps to run up his arms. This felt nothing like anything he had ever experienced...! And Yami liked it. A lot.  
Did his owner enjoy doing this sort of thing often?!

Suddenly, his owner pulled away and pressed his forehead against his, staring deeply into his eyes. Yami blinked and blinked, trying to clear his buzzing mind. He felt like he had been flying for a moment when his owner's mouth touched his.  
This was kissing...his owner was kissing him!

 _He always makes me feel good_..! Yami realized, trying to catch his breath as his owner sat back on his heels, smiling gently at him. _I'll do it back!_ Yami thought vigorously, _He just taught me how!_

Yami reached forwards and threw his arms around Seto's neck, pressing his body flush up against him. _Is it supposed to feel like this?_ Yami thought dizzily as he pressed his mouth insistently over Seto's lips, slowly, licking, biting, and sucking carefully.

Seto felt Yami's arms tightening around his neck as he boldly slid his tongue across his lower lip.

 _Fast learner_ , Seto thought happily, pulling Yami into a tight embrace as he felt Yami lick and bite down on his lip just the way he liked it.

Seto felt himself shudder pleasurably. Oh… wow. It had been a while. A long while since he had kissed anyone who reciprocated so well.

He pressed Yami's heated body tighter against his, feeling him tense.  
_  
Yeah, I like that, that's very good,_ Seto thought faintly as Yami nibbled delicately across his lower lip and moved to shove his tongue into his mouth once more. _Shit, I might even cum if he can kiss like this...!_

Yami didn't know when to breathe, and his chest was bursting as he pulled away, panting heavily. He had forgotten all about learning the language from the remote. He wanted to continue doing this kind of thing with his owner because he knew it would make him feel good. He would be rewarded after this...

Seto pushed Yami down heavily onto the bed, and he gently tugged the robe off from around his tanned shoulders. He watched Yami nod at him with a pretty pink tinge brushed over his cheeks.

 _Cute,_ Seto thought as he buried his face into the curves of Yami's soft neck, kissing and biting down as he heard Yami gasp and moan underneath him.

Yami gripped his owner's shoulder's tightly as he felt his owner's tongue flick out and lick the entire length of his collarbone. He shuddered and arched his back so his owner could better reach his chest area. There was nothing.  
No feeling.  
His owner had sat back up.  
Disappointed, Yami sat up too and pulled the robe back up around his shoulders.  
Was his owner done?

He watched, wide-eyed as his owner poured a thick glob of lube onto the necklace and coated the entire thing, methodically rubbing his hands up and down over the beads.

He watched as his owner gave him a mischievous smile and pushed him back down again. Yami felt the wind leave his body as his owner leaned him back into the bed, gripping one of his ankles tightly and lifting his leg up high over his head.

Yami felt his area spreading and his terror instantly returned. He didn't think that kissing led to his hole being dirtied...!

Yami shook his head frantically and tried to jerk his leg away, but his owner held him tightly. Suddenly, he felt a warm buzzing sensation touched the area underneath his balls. Wh-What?!

Seto patted the anal beads lightly against Yami's perineum, watching his pink asshole clench and unclench lewdly. He lightly groped Yami's ass, feeling him squirm as his asshole clenched again.

 _So...cute_. Seto thought lustily, pressing he beads harder into the place between Yami's balls and asshole, watching as the boy's dick suddenly harden and began leaking at the tip. Shit….he had forgotten how virgins were really sensitive.

Yami was shaking his head but he knew his owner wasn't looking.

His owner was pressing the buzzing feeling all around his balls, and even touched his bottom. He could feel his owner's nails sliding down along his rear and then suddenly a finger pressed into the tip of his dick.

Yami bit his lip and stifled a cry, cupping both his hands to his mouth to keep himself from screaming. His owner's finger also pressed into his hole, and Yami tried to twist his body away, but his owner was still gripping his leg tightly, holding it in the air, making it hard for him to turn his body.

The buzzing feeling moved downwards and touched his hole, and Yami desperately cried out, fear swirling in his chest as he yelled, "No! Not...there!"

Seto nodded, misunderstanding him completely, and he lightly pressed the first bead into Yami's asshole, watching it disappear completely inside him.

Terrified, Yami felt the buzzing enter his hole. It was warm, and it went up into him easily. Suddenly Yami realized...it was the necklace that was buzzing and his owner was putting it into him..! WHY?!

Yami cried out again as his stomach and chest clenched at different times, making him gasp and hiccup.

 _Oh, it's because I asked him to!_ Yami thought faintly, remembering he had angrily yelled "Seto" and pointed at the necklace and bottle. But...it was this feeling again, the hot clenching feeling.

His owner was making him feel good...!

Seto heard Yami cry out a second time and he carefully slipped the second bead into Yami's ass, watching it disappear as Yami's rim tightened pleasurably around the bead. His ass was practically begging for a third…so Seto gently lifted the bead and eased it upwards, watching gleefully as Yami's ass sucked it in hungrily. Yami's neglected tip began leaking again.

Seto was too entertained to bother, so he grabbed Yami's hand and moved it so that Yami could rub his own hardness as he liked.

Yami felt another wave of hot pleasure rush up inside him as the second bead was pushed into his hole, followed quickly by a third. The buzzing and humming of the beads was low and warm and Yami felt his owner grab his hand to make him touch his own dick.

Dizzy and excited, Yami carefully wrapped his hand around his shaft and rubbed it upwards once, feeling his tip's juices soaking through his fingers.

Seto watched Yami hesitantly touch himself and he felt a surge of frustration rise up inside him.

He wanted to see rough, pleasurable rubbing. He wrapped his hand over Yami's, forcing the boy to grip his own dick tighter, giving him a good jerk upwards.

Yami threw his head back as his vision blurred; streaks of fire was shooting up from where his owner gripped is hand tightly, making him touch himself roughly.  
He couldn't breathe.  
Yami tried to take in a deep breath, but every time he did, his owner's hand jerked his hand up harder along his shaft.

Too much. That feeling combined with the buzzing inside him was beginning to make him feel like exploding! Yami's eyes began to water with effort as another spasm of pleasure racked across his body, his legs tensing and jerking every which way. Yami cried out again, unable to control himself. His body felt hot, and his mind was going numb!

Seto watched as Yami writhed and squirmed, clearly enjoying the feeling of the vibrating beads inside him while he forced him to stroke himself heavily.

Seto felt his breathing grow shallow as his own erection strained against his pants.

Watching Yami enjoy himself for the second time in a row was becoming a little hard to bear. He wanted to shove his dick into Yami's twitching little hole, along with the beads so he could feel the delicious vibrations against this own shaft too, but Seto held himself back. The boy was beginning to tear up, looking like he couldn't take any more.

He lowered Yami's leg carefully back down on to the mattress and watched as both of Yami's thighs trembled violently. He was shaking and crying, unable to handle the pleasure from the beads and his hand all at once.

Yami felt his owner lower his leg and he shuddered pleasurably as he beads moved around inside him, going in even deeper than before.

In his haze of pleasure, he only counted four beads, and there was seven on the necklace. He looked up at his owner, his mind heavy, wondering why he was just watching him.  
Did his owner just enjoy watching?  
That seemed to be the case, because every time Yami felt a jolt of heat run through his body... his owner would stare down at his hole.

Seto carefully pulled his hand away from Yami's dick, which was still dripping thickly with precum.

God….what a sight; Yami had his legs spread shamelessly, his asshole twitching for more beads, his dick leaking thickly, his chest heaving, with the robe slipping off his shoulders, exposing his perky pink nipples from beneath the soft white folds, his face flushed, his eyes ...beautiful.

Seto sat back on his heels, resolutely restraining himself from fucking Yami in his twitching asshole. He held up the remote, and wiggled it, pointing at the beads.  
I can make it vibrate faster.

Yami couldn't respond as his chest heaved and he took another deep shuddering gasp as the buzzing increased, just slightly, causing his head to hum and his heart to beat faster. He looked down at himself and spread his legs wider for his owner to see his wetness, knowing his owner liked it.  
He bravely reached down and felt where the string of beads coming out of his asshole and he trembled, feeling the next bead sitting right up against his hole, buzzing with heat.

His owner's piercing blue gaze was setting his skin on fire.  
That encouraged Yami to shove the bead inside himself, feeling the buzzing enter his low into his stomach and stay there, shooting wave after wave of fire up his chest and down across his legs.  
His owner was still looking at him, his blue eyes were slightly wide.  
Yes, he liked this. One more..!  
Yami closed his eyes and leaned his head back onto the soft mattress.  
The ceiling was impossibly high, and that was as high as his prison roof would go if he didn't please his owner properly. Besides, this didn't feel bad, in fact, it felt too...good! He would do this well.

Yami propped himself up on his elbows and shot his owner the most seductive look he could manage as he pressed another bead into himself, while his other hand rubbed the wetness around on his tip in small circles. He could feel himself leaking heavily as the pleasurable heat reached an all-time high, and he began panting. His mouth was dry. Could his owner kiss him again?

Yami licked his lips as he watched as his owner picked up the remote and pressed a button. And suddenly, everything in Yami's vision went white as an intense shaking and buzzing filled his entire being. He stroked himself upwards once, twice, three times, while his owner made the buzzing increase. He felt so full, and Yami felt like stretching his hole wider so that he could feel even more full, but the beads were only so big. He gripped his bottom and tried to spread himself, gasping and panting as his toes began to curl.

Seto was watching intensely, following Yami's hands rubbing his slender dick, seeing Yami stroking himself more vigorously as he was close to an orgasm.  
He watched as Yami pressed his finger into the tip of his cock, the way he had done to him earlier, and Seto felt himself sweat, as his pants grew even more uncomfortable.

He saw Yami's toes curl and decided this was it. He reached forwards and carefully pulled the beads out from his ass, slowly, one by one, watching Yami's delicious asshole clench around each one as they left his body.

Seto absently clicked around on the remote, feeling the beads vibrate and hum in his hands as they came sliding out of Yami's asshole, shining with arousing wetness.

Yami felt his owner pull the buzzing feeling out of his hole so slowly, his hole clenched hungrily around each one, not wanting the feeling to go away. No! He was being emptied! It was no longer hot inside him and Yami shuddered violently, letting out a frustrated yell.  
He shook his head desperately at his owner, telling him he wanted to keep the beads inside...! He wanted to keep the beads inside! No!

The last few beads were already leaving his body and Yami gripped his cock so tightly his hands hurt. He jerked his palm upwards and circled his tip, rolling himself over onto his side and convulsing violently as he reached the peak of the hot searing feeling.

His owner had yanked the last two beads out too quickly and Yami's stomach clenched emptily so hard, it hurt. He bent over, gasping as his hot seed spilled out onto the sheets, his body shaking and twitching as wave after wave of delicious heat engulfed his being.

Yami went limp, his chest rising and falling heavily as he tried to clear his head of the ringing and humming. He wanted to spill his seed when he felt full, with the beads inside him! How could he have expressed that to his owner without speaking...?!  
Yami didn't know.  
His head was now beginning to hurt. The bed was so soft...And he had somehow managed to avoid having his owner penetrate his hole!

Seto eased up off the bed, biting his lip painfully to keep himself from touching Yami. He needed to leave before he did something he regretted.

He quickly exited the room and closed the door softly behind him, making sure to lock it as usual.

Seto shut the door behind him and leaned against it heavily, staring at his desk, staring at his bed, unable to think clearly. He stumbled across the room and sat down shakily in his chair, trying to sort out his feelings. Seto stared down at his hands, watching them tremble slightly as they were folded in front of him.

 _I was actually ...going to fuck him,_ Seto thought, mortified. _No, I actually...really wanted to fuck him._

He palmed his face and breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down. Yami's sweet scent drifted across his face and Seto clenched his jaw in frustration. His hands were still stained with Yami's precum! He leapt to his feet and ran into the bathroom, throwing his hands beneath the running water.

His erection was straining in his pants tightly and Seto forced himself not to think or look at it.

If he jerked off now, it would only solidify his lust for Yami.

His phone buzzed across his desk and Seto strode out of the bathroom hastily, picking it up without looking at the screen.

"Mr. Kaiba." An unfamiliar voice spoke deeply, "I'm calling personally confirm your appointment for 2PM today. I have seen the photos you've sent me regarding your friend's skin condition and it looks manageable."

What the hell was this man talking about? Who the fuck is this? Seto thought faintly, peeling the phone away from his face to check the caller ID.  
It was the dermatologist. Shit.

"I will be there." Seto responded, trying to keep his voice steady as his ears began to ring unpleasantly.

The doctor coughed and said lightly, "Cash...is fine." And the man hung up on him.

Seto slowly lowered the phone as he took slow even breaths. There was a knock at the door and Isono entered the room.

"Mr. Kaiba, is there anything I can do for you this morning?" Isono began, noticing the clothes on Kaiba's bed. They looked like they were for the foreign boy.

"Perhaps I could take out your dry cleaning...?" Isono asked curiously, gesturing towards the bed.

"Those are for Yami." Seto said roughly, thinking he might call the post office to see if he could trace who bought the contents of the package and where it was sent from.

"Yami." Isono repeated, wondering if Seto had given the boy a name, "Your nickname for the foreigner?"

"No, that _is_ his name." Seto said furiously, moving behind his desk carefully. He didn't want any awkward stares from Isono regarding his erection.

"Right." Isono said lightly, deciding it was better not to question it. "I shall bring them into his room." He gathered the outfit up in his arms and bowed slightly before leaving the room.

Seto sighed and glanced down at himself, relieved to see that his arousal had subsided, but...that didn't change the strange swirling feeling in his chest every time he thought of the spiky-haired teen.

Isono unlocked the guest room door and stepped inside, carefully laying the clothes out onto the couch, noticing the boy was nowhere to be seen. His orders were to not linger, but Isono made it his mission to know everything that was happening in the house anyway.

He approached the bed, noticing that it looked slept in, and he froze when he saw the carnage that was strewn across the sheets. Lube, anal beads and sticky white fluids were spread messily across the entire mattress.

Isono shook as he stepped away from the edge of the bed, making a mental note to call a maid in to sterilize the room. He could see why Mr. Kaiba did not want anyone entering this room. Did the boy do this on his own accord?  
Or was Mr. Kaiba...and the boy...?  
No.  
That was impossible.  
He had seen the aftermath of sheets when Mr. Kaiba entertained women and it did not look this tame. Perhaps Mr. Kaiba was right to order a brain scan.  
Foreigners were scary.

He heard water running and he realized the boy was taking a shower. Excited at this prospect, he rushed next door to report this to Mr. Kaiba, carefully closing the door and locking it behind him.

Seto looked up as he saw Isono rush into his room looking panicked but excited, and Seto realized he must have seen the state of the sheets in the other room. Shit.

Keeping his face neutral, Seto stared at his screen, not really seeing any of the words. "What is it?" he asked, trying to sound annoyed. Isono was either going to freak out, or suggest he get rid of the boy.

"The…boy..! He is taking a shower!" Isono exclaimed. He paused and swallowed, "And you may be right to order a brain scan, the boy got into the drawer with ...your items. And the sheets, they're dirtied, so I will be calling in a maid."

Seto nodded and blinked, "Yes, call the maid."

 _Glad to hear he's taking a shower,_ Seto thought darkly.

"One more thing, perhaps, we could see him out….as soon as he learns enough to survive on his own." Isono said carefully, folding his hands in front of him.

There we go.  
The "let's get rid of him" spiel.

Seto nodded again, "The tattoo removal is the first step. So, we'll go from there."

Isono nodded and bowed, quickly exiting the room.

* * *

**Author's note:**

If I had a dime for every time you guys in the comments said "poor yami" I'd be as rich as Seto Kaiba hwhahaha. xD Im jk. But honestly, I love you guys for feeling the story so deeply ^_^ Because I PUT MY HEART INTO THIS, so **thank you** for seeing my effort!

And thank you for the intense interest in this story! (I honestly thought that I had written Yami waaaay too out of character given the situation…..But I meeeaaaan it's cool if ya'll like it wahahahaha ^^ *tiny tear of appreciation )

 **AT:FictionalSadist/ShadedVision** THANK YOU for following me to this story! Your dedication astounds me to no end! (hearts!)  
**AT:EgyptianSaphireDragons** for your lengthy and LOVELY reviews! I live for them!  
**AT: LoverofYugiohYaoi,** I appreciate your comments at the end of every chapter as well! I look forward to reading each and every tiny little thing anyone has to say *heavy breathing* lol

 **AT: (anon/non-account holder) AYAME** , I LOVE U DEAR! If you feel brave enough, feel free to sign into an account & follow the story to get email notifications!

Next update: Saturday **11/11/17**  
...or earlier if u guys want...~

LOVE AND HUGS,

Ugli


	5. I couldn’t see

Yami stood beneath the shower, watching his fluids run off his body, feeling muggy and sleepy. His knees felt weak and he braced himself against the wall as the rush of water fell across his shoulders.

This was the second time he had squirted white fluid since his arrival, and both times, his owner had been watching him and assisting him.

Yami hugged himself and tried not to feel so hot. Somewhere from deep in his mind, the nameless boy's advice floated across his consciousness again.

_"Your owner will make you clean yourself every time he wants to dirty you. He will spread you open against your will and ram his dick in your hole."_

That had not happened, yet. He also hadn't been cleaned before they touched. And he had not done anything against his own will either...!

He had mistakenly asked for the beads without fully understanding what they were, and his owner had even tried to leave the room ... several times!

They were really having a hard time communicating.

 _Does he not like me?!_ Yami thought suddenly, fear striking through him again. _Is it because he prefers Mokuba? That might be a good thing!_

He stared at the water pooling down around his feet, feeling oddly upset. He had kissed his owner on the mouth, with teeth and tongue, the way he had been shown.  
His owner had smiled at him after that, so Yami was sure he liked that.

But...why did his owner seem to hold him at an arm's length? Or was he just more interested in Mokuba?

Yami quickly washed his face and hair, running his fingers through the strands as soap sifted through them softly.

 _I like my owner,_ Yami decided. _I'm extremely lucky. He treats me gently while making me feel good. He even puts me first. Even if he is rough at times, I believe that roughness is part of his personality and I like it, though he might not like me very much._

He shut the water off and lifted a fluffy white towel from off the counter, feeling his feet sink into the luxurious bathmats. He wiggled his toes pleasantly, feeling oddly light.

Was this happiness?

Yami quickly dried himself and glanced at his sullied robe which he had thrown haphazardly onto the counter. There were sticky fluids on the hem and all over the back edge. Yami turned away from it, feeling slightly nervous.  
He then stared at the tiny black pen peeking out from the folds of his robe, and he grabbed it, hiding it in his palm.

He would carry this pen with him everywhere.  
He could use it as a weapon to stab one of the bodyguards during his escape.

Yami sighed and stared at his filthy, fluid-soaked robe again.

Did he have anything else to wear? Was he going to have to wear the same thing over and over again until someone decided to wash his clothes?

No, that couldn't be. This house was so large, and his owner had so much money! If he was forced to wear the same dirty robe every day, his owner would truly be cruel.

Yami hurried out of the bathroom, surprised that the bed had been neatly made again with fresh sheets.

 _Wow,_ Yami thought appreciatively, the rich sure lived well. _Perhaps I could sleep on this bed after all! My owner doesn't seem to want to dirty my hole...at least probably not until tonight._

His eyes landed on a set of clothes laid out piece by piece on the white couch.

 _Clothes!_ Yami thought happily, nearly dropping his towel in his excitement. He had earned clothes!

He held them up, examining them. They were nicely made, no markings, but it was a collared shirt with buttons...just like what the nameless boy had been wearing. Yami's stomach churned as he felt sick.

 _I'm turning into the nameless boy,_ he thought unhappily, _my owner may be handsome, instead of fat and ugly, but that doesn't change the fact that this is my prison cell._

He quickly dressed himself, dismayed at how well everything fit him. Even the underwear fit him nicely. It was a dense, soft cotton, and the thin bands hugged his butt cheeks tightly.  
Yami squirmed uncomfortably and buttoned up the black pants, sliding the shoes on his feet. He quickly tucked the tiny pen in his pocket and straightened up.  
He was dressed.  
He ran over to the mirror to see his reflection.

A slender, spiky-haired boy with dark skin and large eyes, wearing plain clothes stared back at him.

 _I hate this_ , Yami thought dismally, _I look ugly! I looked better wearing the robe!_

 _I will wear the robe when my owner comes in to see me_ , Yami decided firmly. _If he likes what he sees, he will just sit by and watch. If there is something he does not like, he will act on it.  
My hole will be safe, even if we do not speak the same language._

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and his owner entered the room.

 _Ah...!_ Yami thought and he stood up straighter, blinking at his owner, watching his blue eyes roam over his body slowly...too slowly. Yami felt his face heat up and he stood his ground.

 _Does he like it?_ Yami thought hopefully and that thought was crushed as he saw his owner wrinkle his nose.

 _Oh, at least...we agree._ Yami thought bitterly, nodding sadly. Then he stopped himself. He shouldn't disparage gifts from the owner! Yami held his breath, watching his owner stare at him curiously.

Seto saw Yami swallow tensely, his adam's apple jumping in his throat as he suddenly looked very afraid.

He stared at Yami, and Yami looked right back at him. They stayed that way for a few moments, silently staring at each other from across the room.

 _What's the gesture for 'doctor?'_ Seto wondered as he pointed at the door. _Let's go._

Yami nodded at him and turned back to face the mirror, looking disappointed.

 _He is telling me he's leaving._ Yami thought bitterly, unbuttoning all the buttons on his shirt, tugging at his collar _._ He could feel his skin itching and burning underneath the fabric. _This reminds me so much of the nameless boy, it hurts._

Seto saw Yami yank at his collar irritably and his chest tightened. He really hated the shirt.

 _He didn't understand me_ , Seto realized, stepping forwards into the view of the boy's mirror.

Suddenly, Yami caught his owner's frustrated expression in the mirror and he whirled around, terrified. How long had his owner been standing there? Had he seen the collar tug?! Was he in trouble?

Seto saw the boy jump and look scared.

 _Jeez, jumpy much?_ He thought as he pointed at the door again and walked towards it, scooping the air in front of him towards his chest, making the 'come here' gesture.

Yami froze and blinked at his owner slowly. Perhaps, he was being taken outside?! He was given these clothes so they could go on an outing! He had done well and succeeded!

Yami nodded eagerly, watching as his owner reached out to wrap a cold hand around his wrist, firmly leading him out the door and down the large staircase.

The boy Mokuba was standing at the bottom, eyeing them with jealousy. He spoke roughly to their owner and Yami listened really hard, trying to pick up any of the sounds.

"Seto, you took another day off! Where are you guys going?" Mokuba whined, crossing his arms, glaring at his older brother's hand wrapped around the foreigner's wrist.

"The dermatologist." Seto said shortly, feeling Yami waver behind him.

"We're still going to the beach if I get an 'A' right?" Mokuba asked hopefully, shooting a careful glance at the spiky-haired foreigner. The summer was almost over and they hadn't gone anywhere fun together since it started! Seto was always too busy working.

"Yes, we'll all go together." Seto said, nodding.

"With…him?" Mokuba asked shrilly, pointing at Yami and wrinkling his nose.

"Yeah, why not. Wouldn't you want to see our ocean if you were from a different country?" Seto said gently, pulling Yami past Mokuba and towards the door.

"I guess." Mokuba said, sighing. "Fine."

Seto heard the disappointment creep into Mokuba's voice. He knelt down and patted his younger brother's head. "We'll go to the beach, maybe the movies too. Would you like that?"

"Yes!" Mokuba cried, throwing his arms around Seto's neck tightly just as he heard Isono coming up beside him. Mokuba let go of his brother and ran up the stairs, staring down at them enviously from the top step.

He briefly wondered if the paparazzi would scare the crap out of the foreign boy, and that thought made him smile spitefully.

 _Yeah, that guy is going to hate the paparazzi_ , Mokuba thought triumphantly, smiling down at the boy's tanned face which was turned towards him with an expression of sorrow. He marched into his room and slammed the door.

Yami looked down at his wrist where his owner's slender fingers gripped him tightly, a dark curling feeling in his stomach making him queasy. They were going out for a reward-trip and the Mokuba boy wasn't invited.

He saw the Mokuba boy glare and point at their touching wrists, and he knew that just made the boy hate him more. Yami had considered jerking his hand away, just to show Mokuba that he was still his owner's #1 toy.  
He felt like he needed to be more thankful towards him, considering how his hole was still safe, only because of him.

Yami looked back to his owner, trying to pick up syllables as he was speaking to his manservant.

"I just had a thought, Isono." Seto said suddenly, feeling Yami's hand twist in his slightly. "Where are the clothes he arrived in?"

"In a sealed plastic bag, about to be discarded." Isono said, nodding.

"Keep them." Seto said shortly, tightening his grip around Yami's wrist as he felt him flex his elbow. "Send it to the lab instead. I want every fiber on that thing analyzed."

Isono bowed deeply and held the door open for them. "Very well, Hopefully results will come back by the time you return."

"Yeah, hopefully." Seto growled, and he marched Yami out the door and into the waiting limo which sat parked by the fountain in his driveway.

Yami had been looking out the door the entire time his owner had been speaking to the servant and his blood ran cold when he saw the three burly men from yesterday standing around the car silently, like tall imposing trees.

_"Whenever we went out, we were always surrounded by his guards...!"_

The nameless boy's tearful voice filled Yami's consciousness and he tried to twist his way out from his owner's grasp, deeply regretting his excitement for this reward outing.

Escape wasn't going to be possible with those men watching him! One of their strides was three of his leaps!

His owner pulled him out the front door when he had finished speaking with the servant and dragged him across the white stone pavement.

He was pushed into the back seat of a long, black car and Yami felt his pants rub against the texture of the seats as his owner kept tapping his leg, pointing further down into the car, as if to say, "move down ...over there".

Yami nodded numbly and scooted along down the seats, his dread rising as the three guards got into the car as well, but sat farther away from them.

The car was a long hallway of leather seats. How odd. One sat in the very front beside the driver, the other two sat facing them.

His owner sat beside him, his long legs crossed, wearing a pair of dark pants and a matching dark shirt. Yami suddenly noticed a small metal pin attached to his owner's collar.  
It was such an interesting shape and Yami found that he couldn't stop staring at it as the car began to move forwards.

Yami glanced behind him and looked out the window, watching the dark metal gate sliding open. They were going out! He tried to sit still, but he began fidgeting with excitement again. He had done well! He had pleased his owner well!

Yami's heart was thumping loudly in his chest and he turned to smile at his owner, showing him that he was happy.

Seto watched Yami's eyes follow the gate as it slid back and the boy smiled shakily at him. His teeth were very white against his tanned skin and Seto felt his heart skip a solid beat.

 _Yeah, we're going out,_ Seto thought, amused, enjoying Yami's smile. It brightened up his whole face, and Seto began to wonder what he could do to coax more smiles out of Yami.  
He had seen the boy smile twice, once in the shower after he was clean, and once now, when they were going out.

 _I'm going to assume he really likes showering and going out_. Seto thought, feeling satisfied as the limo pulled out onto the freeway.

Yami had his head turned at an awkward angle, trying to stare out the window behind their heads; his large violet eyes were blinking rapidly, staring intently at everything that passed them by.

Seto smirked, enjoying Yami's reactions. This kid was easy to read.

Yami felt his breath hitch in his throat as he watched the scenery pass by his window, committing everything to memory, once again trying to recognize landmarks, trees, signs...anything he could use as information when he made his escape. He gasped when he saw a large towering silver building again, the one that seemed to touch the sky. He had seen that when he arrived in the car with the evil guards!

They drove past the front of the building, closer this time, and Yami caught the enormous metal sign jutting out on the side of the building. It gleamed at him in the sunlight and Yami blinked, green spots appearing in his vision as he stared harder, making sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

The gigantic sign was exactly the same shape as his owner's tiny pin.

Yami's strength left his body all at once and he slowly slid back down onto his seat, away from the window.

His owner...was a powerful man! He owned the building that touched the sky! The car suddenly felt too hot, and it was becoming more difficult to draw another breath.

How could someone so young manage to be so rich? His owner was young, right?

Yami leaned slightly closer towards his owner, staring him full in the face. His skin was tight and smooth, wrinkle free, his hands were that way too! So….Yami swallowed nervously. Was he born into wealth? Rich people were more beautiful purely because they had their pick of partners from anywhere in the world!

Seto watched Yami slide down in his seat and turn to stare at him, his eyes roaming over every single one of his features.

Seto felt himself heat up uncomfortably.

What? Was there something on his face? He glanced up and realized they had passed the street in front of one of his skyscrapers and he froze, feeling Yami's eyes travel down his body and land on his hands.

What the hell...? Seto saw Yami's large violet eyes drift upwards and land on the metal pin sitting on the folds of his collar. Oh...smart kid! He had seen the logo on the building and put two and two together. Very good.

Yami trembled from head to toe as the car turned down a narrow street and continued inching forwards, still unable to come to terms with how wealthy his owner was.

He curled his fingers tightly around the pen in his pocket, staring at the bodyguards sitting in front of him.

 _I won't be able to reach their eyes, but I can stab any hand that tries to grab me,_ Yami decided, his anxiety rising as the car pulled into an empty parking lot surrounded by other tall buildings.  
He could hear the car's wheels crunching over the gravel as his mind began to race frantically.

This was not the ocean, the forest, or animals. There were no shops in sight, or even other people. In fact, this looked like...a hotel!

Yami craned his neck, trying to decipher the signs on the side of the building. The text was simple, thin, and grey. The building was lower than all the others around it, also grey, with matching white doors and white windows.  
All the blinds were drawn.

Yami tried to swallow the enormous lump that was choking him steadily. His owner was taking him to a hotel...why?! Was he going to be passed around to his other rich good-looking friends while he watched?! Was that why the bodyguards had come along?! To hold him down while he was dirtied by multiple people?!

 _But...!_ Yami thought fearfully, tears threatening to spill out from his eyes at any moment, _But, I did well, didn't I? I pleased him well...! I was sure he liked it! Why wasn't this the reward outing the nameless boy had told him about?_

Seto felt Yami tense and shift uncomfortably beside him, and he tried his best to smile gently. _Don't worry, this will help you._

Yami saw his owner's uncertain smile and his terror rose to an all-time high.  
That confirmed it. His owner usually was very certain in his actions.

 _It's because he inspected me all over and he realized he doesn't like my hands!_ Yami realized hopelessly _, He's seen my hole, and my front, ... everything! He doesn't feel the need to dirty me anymore...! That's why he acted so uninterested. He could sell me again, to his friends! Perhaps this is how he has so much money...!_

Yami was jolted out of his thoughts when the car pulled to a stop and the bodyguards moved to exit the car. His owner raised a hand to stop them, and he spoke. They both nodded and sat back in the seats. Yami saw his owner turn his handsome face towards him and look at him with his clear blue eyes.

His owner's mouth was moving and Yami felt himself heat up, remembering how they had felt on his mouth.

He couldn't understand a word this man was saying, but he could...convince him somehow! Perhaps they could stay in the car, and he would be taken back into his room!

Seto addressed his guards briefly, telling them to stay put unless there was a real issue. He knew they scared the boy. He turned to speak to Yami, watching him stare at his moving mouth with an odd expression, probably trying to pick out sounds.

"We're going inside, to remove your tattoo." Seto said uncertainly, knowing the boy couldn't understand him at all. "I'm not sure what the rules are in your country, but in this country, if you want to enter any public bathing area, you'll need to report your tattoo. The government keeps recor-"

The boy had suddenly got up onto the seat, bracing himself on his knees while he leaned forwards and pressed himself onto his lips, kissing him deeply in mid-sentence.

Seto froze, feeling Yami's teeth bite and nibble his bottom lip insistently while his warm hands pressed down onto his thigh heavily. _What the…hell?!_ Seto thought blurrily, losing a fragment of his thoughts as he felt Yami's tongue slide in through his teeth to sensually lick the roof of his mouth.

 _This is not happening,_ Seto thought hazily as his hands found Yami's wrist and he pushed him off his thighs roughly, lightly biting the tongue that was in his mouth and pressuring Yami to back off by shoving his forehead painfully forwards.

Yami felt his owner jerk suddenly and push him back. A cold hand wrapped over his wrist shoved him off, causing him to lose balance and their foreheads knocked together as his owner's teeth bumped into his.

Panting furiously, his tongue stinging from the bite, his eyes watering, Yami gripped his forehead with one hand, glaring at his owner.  
Well, his plan failed. It was worth a try.

One of the bodyguards coughed awkwardly and Seto felt a burning heat creeping across his cheeks.

He quickly composed himself and exited the vehicle, standing by the door and calling Yami's name sternly, "Yami."

 _Step out of the car, I'm not playing games_. Seto thought viciously, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth roughly as his lips stung from the residual sensations of Yami's kiss.

Yami felt the fear return inside him with full force. He had thought if he kissed his owner the way he liked it, he would decide to keep him. He heard his name being called firmly and he trembled, stepping slowly out of the car as his owner slammed the door behind him.

"Seto...?" Yami said desperately as his owner's cold hand came down around his wrist again and pulled him towards one of white doors.

He tried to catch his owner's eye, shaking and shaking his head, trying to speak with him through eye contact. _No, please...I'll do it better, I'll just keep doing it better if you'll let me stay inside the house...!_

Seto felt Yami twisting and resisting his grasp again and he grit is teeth. He was going to regret this visit. They might need to sedate him again if he couldn't communicate this properly, but how the hell do you communicate 'tattoo removal' in hand gestures?!

Seto reached the white door and he pushed down on the handle, hearing it creak open softly as they stepped into a neat and well-lit reception area.

He quickly reached around Yami and shut the door behind them, knowing the boy probably wanted to run.

Yami stopped struggling the second he laid eyes on the large marble desk panning across the small room. There was a plant in one corner, with a few single chairs lining the wall and a foggy glass door that led to another room.

His owner marched him over to the desk and spoke to the woman behind it. She was pretty, with long black hair.  
It was very straight and very shiny.  
She had eyes that were similar to the alien-like bodyguard.  
Yami realized with a jolt that the bodyguard probably lived in this country!

He made a mental note to keep track of more features on other people he saw. He needed to know if he was safe. If he escaped, would that bodyguard be able to track him down and fly him back to his own country?

"Hello." The woman said calmly, sweeping her eyes over to her left at Yami, and then back at Kaiba.

Seto tightened his grip around Yami's wrist, "Thank you for making room in the schedule on such short notice."

"You're welcome." The woman said smoothly, gesturing towards the seats, "Dr. Shu will be out shortly. Does your friend speak Japanese?"

"He does not." Seto said shortly, frowning deeply.

The woman mirrored his frown, "Will this be an issue? The laser is painful."

"I'm not sure." Seto replied, his chest tightening with dread. He didn't want another hair-raising incident that needed sedation. "He has a fear of sharp points…"

"As we all do." The woman nodded patiently just as the door clicked behind her and a portly man wearing a light-blue collared shirt underneath his white coat, stood in the doorway.

"Welcome Mr. Kaiba. I.. -" The man paused in his sentence as his eyes darted over towards Yami, and he quickly ducked back into the room and slammed the door. The woman sat up straighter, startled.

The doctor appeared in front of him, behind the desk, looking stricken, "I'm not sure I can service your friend."

Yami watched with extreme curiosity as the stout man sweated at them from behind the safety of the large desk. Was he afraid of his owner? The woman wasn't. So what was this man's problem?

Yami knew this man was a doctor, he recognized the white coat. He perked his ears, listening for sounds. He only heard one phrase he recognized: _"Mr. Kaiba."_  
His owner's name.

Yami felt his owner gripping him tightly again.  
Perhaps there was going to be shouting...again.

"Why not?" Seto asked, trying to keep his voice even. "You said it was manageable." Why the fuck was this doctor retracting his services? Had he been threatened by that Yakuza?

The doctor looked at him with soft eyes full of pity, "I did my research Mr. Kaiba. You are not the only powerful man around here, asking for a tattoo removal to be kept off records." The man was being blunt now and Seto knew that was a bad sign.

The doctor continued to speak, looking slightly scared, "I called around to several friends who have done similar procedures. This particular situation is...is a dangerous one."

He turned to address the woman sitting in front of him. "Please excuse us, Miss. Wait in the other room while I speak with Mr. Kaiba here."

The woman stood shakily and bowed deeply before hurrying out the door that led into the back offices.

There was a long silence.  
Yami looked between the two men nervously. The air was still polite, but it was very tense. He guessed the doctor had probably agreed to do something for his owner, and was now refusing.

 _It has something to do with me..!_ Yami thought frantically _, This is my fault! That's why my owner's grip is so painful around my wrist right now!_

"I'll pay, anything." Seto enunciated. "This boy is not affiliated with Yakuza, or any known criminal group. He barely has an identity. Having this tattoo removed will improve his life here. It will also make his visa application easier."

The doctor blinked rapidly at him, taking a deep breath, shuffling his feet and looking very nervous, "You plan to...assimilate his foreigner? In-In our country...?"

"Yes." Seto said angrily, staring at the doctor firmly. Why the hell was the doctor refusing, even after he confirmed the appointment? There was definitely something missing here, something he didn't know about. This thought angered him further.

"Then, I suppose I will be the one to break the bad news to you." The doctor said kindly, looking at Yami with deep pity in his eyes, "The boy is a victim of human trafficking. He should be brought to the authorities before having his tattoo removed."

Seto felt the room swim as the doctor's words washed over him.

Yeah, he knew that.  
He had seen the listing.  
Hell, he had clicked on it.  
But how did the doctor know that? Did that mean there were _more_ of these people being trafficked into Japan and having their tattoos removed?!

The doctor had mentioned he called his friends...Jesus Christ.

He didn't want to give Yami to the authorities!  
They would send him back to whatever country he came from, and the vicious cycle would begin all over again.  
He would be re-captured and sold again.  
Probably to someone worse than himself.

Seto lowered his head, taking in slow breaths, making sure his shoulders rose and fell visibly.

He heard the doctor speak again, kindly this time, "I take it, by your reaction, you did not know this."

"I did not." Seto lied, keeping his voice at a low whisper. He could play on this doctor's empathy. He would not let Yami go. He could help him, by assimilating him; that was the safest option.

"I see. That explains why you suggested to file a visa and ...well. I'm very sorry." The doctor said firmly.

"Doctor," Seto said hollowly, keeping his head angled down with his eyes lowered.  
He had to keep being respectful.  
He needed this man's help.

"Yes?" The man said kindly, stepping forwards slightly, sounding guilty.

"This boy...needs your help." Seto replied, making his voice tremble, "Do you know what happens if I hand him to the authorities? Your friends, do they say what happens?"

Yami watched his owner lower his head and speak to the doctor with a soft, trembling voice. He was begging! What was happening?! What did he want this doctor to do to his body?!

Seto could feel the doctor frowning as he replied, "No, but they did say their offices were filled with police while their practice was under heavy inspection. There were court-ordered appearances and lawyers present. Licenses were suspended."

"I see." Seto said heavily, blinking rapidly, forcing his eyes to grow wet as he continued speaking with his head lowered respectfully, "Well, here's what I think. The authorities will deport him. He will go back to his own country, where, he will be easily re-captured and re-sold. Not to our country, probably a different one."

He raised his eyes and looked deeply into the doctor's soft brown ones, seeing the man shake slightly, "I know this now. Thank you for telling me. I will find a way to deal with this myself."

He turned to address Yami, knowing that he couldn't understand him, but the doctor could. "Let's go home. I'm sorry I'll have to send you back to that...disgusting place."

Seto pulled Yami towards the door, feeling Yami stumble forwards and comply.

Seto pushed the door open and stepped out, watching Yami walk willingly beside him, blinking at him curiously. He shook his head sadly him, knowing it would confuse him further. The doctor was watching their every move.

He let the door swing shut heavily behind them and he led Yami over towards the limousine.

 _Come on...!_ Seto thought viciously, gripping Yami's wrist tighter. If his acting worked, the doctor should be rushing out any minute now, to stop them.

They had reached the door of his limo and the dark handle gleamed back at him in the harsh sunlight. The doctor wasn't coming out. Fuck. His acting had failed.  
He would have to find another way to remove Yami's tattoo.  
He could purchase the laser illegally...piece by fucking piece.

Suddenly, the door swung open and the doctor stood breathlessly at the doorway, "Wait..! Mr. Kaiba...!"

 _Finally!_ Seto thought triumphantly. He reached for the door handle, making it seem like they were about to leave. He felt Yami shift uncertainly behind him.

"Yes, Doctor?" Seto spoke politely, not looking in his direction, keeping his gaze fixed on the tinted windows of his limousine. He could see Yami's frightened expression in the reflection.

"Perhaps...we could work something out...for the boy." The doctor said, sweating slightly.

Seto turned to smile at the doctor, "Do you really mean that? I will compensate generously for your help. I know you are risking your practice and your license."

 _Read in-between the lines old man!_ Seto growled privately _, There's a lot of money in it for you for just a few sessions. You could open your practice somewhere trendy instead of in this deserted dump!_

The doctor understood immediately and he nodded stiffly, opening the door and gesturing them back inside, "Please come in, quickly."

 _Finally, fuck_. Seto thought angrily, leading Yami back towards the door, feeling him resist slightly.

Yami felt his terror rising quickly as the doctor called them back inside. He had watched his owner's clever performance, and the doctor had fallen for it!  
Everything his owner did was calculated and intentional!  
His owner was very, very smart.  
He had to be careful...!

The lump in Yami's throat returned as the doctor ushered them through the main area and past the foggy glass door. There were rows and rows of closed doors and the doctor opened one to let them inside.

The room was very clean with low lights. Sunlight streamed in happily from a large window, casting bright yellow beams across the tiled floors. It was the exact opposite of how Yami was feeling right then.

The edges of the window were decorated with colorful streamers and there was a large screen hanging in front of a very odd-looking chair. The doctor gestured for him to sit in it and Yami froze, blinking stubbornly at the stout man before looking up at his owner.

_Why do I have to sit there? What is the man going to do to me?!_

He felt his owner nudge him gently and point at the seat. His owner then pointed a slender finger at the hand holding his wrist, and then to the chair. His owner then let go of his wrist.

 _What..?_ Yami thought, deeply confused as he looked at his wrist. _Oh...my numbers. He wants the doctor to see my numbers. Why? This is inked into my skin! The doctor can't do anything about it._

He shook his head-trying to tell his owner that there was nothing this doctor could do. Even if the doctor was to analyze the numbers on his skin, it wouldn't make them disappear. This was his purchase number! The nameless boy had told him so.

His owner nodded at him slowly and pointed at the chair again, this time looking impatient.

 _Fine_ , Yami thought begrudgingly, walking towards it, seeing the doctor nod approvingly at him as he sat himself down. _Try your best, doctor._

The doctor reached out a gloved hand and Yami showed him the numbers on his wrist. The doctor nodded and stood, speaking to his owner. He saw his owner nod and set his mouth in a tight line.

Yami instantly recognized that expression. He had seen the same expression used when Mr. Aki had spoken to him. What happened next ….was...utter chaos.

Yami swallowed nervously. Could the doctor somehow manage to remove his purchase number?! If he could, that would be miraculous indeed!  
Did his owner not like his purchase number?

Yami recalled the times his owner frowned into his palm: once while he was naked in the bath, the other was when he came into his room.

Oh...his owner hated his purchase number, not his hands! If getting his purchase number removed would please his owner, Yami would do it willingly-Even if it would involve another needle.

The doctor had left and his owner was standing very still, staring at a blank space on the wall. Yami felt his nervousness rise and flutter in his chest. His owner looked so handsome all the time, how was that possible?

His owner walked towards him and picked up his hand, holding it tightly, blinking down at him and squeezing once.

 _Yes, I know, you don't like my number_ , Yami nodded, squeezing back with equal strength.

His owner's hands were cold but he could feel them warming up in his grasp.

Suddenly, his owner lifted his hand and pressed his lips across Yami's knuckles, his clear blue eyes shining intensely from beneath his brown bangs.

Yami felt his heart skip a solid beat as he felt a hot breath passing down his hand and into his entire body. He felt warm all over. Was his owner reassuring him because he knew it would hurt...?

The door swung open and two women came into the room, wheeling over a large, bulky machine. His owner let go of his hand immediately and stepped to the side.

Intrigued, Yami sat and stared as the women busied themselves around the strange machine, hooking up thick black wires and adjusting it right next to his chair.

The warmth from his owner's hand was quickly fading, replaced by more fear and dread.

This machine was what they were going to use on him.

Yami watched, his heart pounding furiously as the doctor pulled up a chair very close beside him, his knee right up against the machine. The machine was safe to touch…. so, what was going to be touching him?

The women handed the doctor a large silver tube with a clear, pointed end.

 _Oh...that._ Yami blinked, terrified, as the doctor spoke to the women and they stood on either side of his chair. The doctor looked at him kindly and held the tube up for him to see.

Yami could see a dark, thick cord attached to the machine, and the doctor pointed the tip down at his own wrist, making soft circular motions.

He looked at Yami, tilting his head. _Do you understand? This is for the numbers on your wrist._

 _Yes,_ Yami nodded, trying to swallow the lump in his throat, which had returned with full force.

The doctor then put a finger up to his eye and dragged down his cheek, very slowly. Like he was drawing a tear on his face. He made a comical sad face and looked immediately very serious.

Yami nodded again, slowly, and he blinked twice. _Yes, I know. This might hurt so much it'll make me cry._

He glanced up at the women around him and he craned his neck, trying to catch the eye of his owner who was standing tensely in the corner of the room. His owner was looking at him with a shocked expression.

Yami smiled shakily at his owner, staring deep into his clear blue eyes as he willingly stuck his arm out towards the doctor. The doctor nodded, smiling gently as he pressed a cold cotton piece over his numbers and patted it dry with a small cloth.

Then, he switched the tube on, and Yami heard a quiet humming. The doctor grasped his hand gently while he ran the tube carefully on the right side on his numbers.

Suddenly, the doctor tightened his hold over his arm and Yami braced himself.  
The pain was coming.  
There was a split second where Yami thought, "Oh perhaps this wouldn't hurt after all", but the second immediately afterwards was filled with a searing hot pain stabbing repeatedly into his wrist.

He grit his teeth, staring at the blinking red light at the end of the tube.  
The light would blink and a sharp pain would burn into his skin.

Yami felt his body sweating and trembling in an effort to remain still.  
He bit the inside of his cheek. It was equally as painful each time, but it became easier to endure as the doctor went along.

The tube was at the middle of his wrist now, and the doctor paused, dabbing the cloth over the area. Yami was horrified when he saw a spot of bright red blood come up on the cloth. His blood!

The doctor gave his hand another squeeze and Yami gripped his knees, bracing himself again as the searing hot pain continued across his wrist.

Don't make a sound, don't think, don't breathe. Yami told himself, staring at his owner who was looking extremely worried. That expression made Yami feel a lot better. At least his owner cared-to some extent-about the pain he was in.  
Yami was doing this for him, after all.

The tube lifted and the doctor dabbed across his skin again, picking up a bit more blood and then nodding at him. He was finished.

 _Thank god...!_ Yami thought, relieved. He tried to jerk his hand back, but the doctor shook his head, tightening his grip around his wrist. Not done.

Not done? Why?!

One of the women handed the doctor a bandage and a strange smelling ointment. The doctor turned to his owner to speak, raising up the jar.  
His owner stepped forward and watched as the doctor slid a gloved finger full of ointment across his wrist.

Yami's eyes began to water painfully as he tried not to let the stinging sensation consume him.

His owner would like him much better if his product number was gone.  
His owner wanted him to be unmarked. He could live with that.

If he would be treated gently and lovingly at all times, he could take this pain now. It would pay off later.

The doctor pressed a mesh strip over the back of his hand and wrapped a long slip of bandage all around his wrist. It was sticky so it held tightly in place.

Yami blinked, feeling his eyes heat up as the room blurred around him.

The place where the numbers lay on his skin burned and itched.

The doctor nodded at him and then smiled. He pointed at the jar, and then pointed at his own wrist, making smoothing motions. Then he held up two fingers. Confused, Yami tilted his head.

Did he need two kinds of ointment? He needed to clean his wrist? Yami didn't understand, so he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

The doctor turned to speak to his owner.  
Yami saw his owner nod and accept the jar with both hands, bowing deeply.

Yami watched, amazed, as his owner's head ducked down low enough to reach the doctor's sitting level.

Bowing in this country was normal? For everyone?  
His owner was no exception, regardless of how rich and powerful he was?

Yami felt the breath catch in his throat and watched as the doctor, in turn, bow back equally as deeply - though he remained sitting in his chair.

 _I see, so it is!_ Yami thought, excited at this new piece of information he learned.

The doctor turned to look at him strangely, with pity, and then stood, gesturing for the women to take the machine away.

Yami ducked his head down and lowered his eyes. Did the doctor know he was a toy? It seemed like it. No one had looked at him like that since he had arrived here.

Everyone left the room quietly except for his owner, who was looking oddly relieved.

Yami smiled hesitantly up at his owner. _Did you like that? I did that for you without struggling. Now take me back to my room._

His owner stepped forwards and pulled him into a tight embrace. Yami blinked, his heart swooping mightily in his chest as he felt his chin rub tightly against his owner's shoulder. He tried to nod, feeling gentle, warm arms wrap around his entire body.

 _You're welcome_ , Yami thought darkly as his owner stepped back and pointed towards the door, smiling slightly. He slid off the chair and nodded, quickly following his owner out into the main office.

He watched his owner bow deeply again, this time, his hands were stiff at his sides.  
His owner spoke softly, and the doctor nodded, bobbing his head back politely and looking extremely happy.

His owner strode out the door, holding it open, and Yami hurried towards him-shooting a backward glance at the doctor who was wiping his brow.

His owner was standing by the car door and he pulled it open, pointing at the inside and Yami nodded, climbing in silently, noticing the guards were still sitting inside, side-by-side like silent statues.

His owner sat himself tightly beside him and shut the door, speaking to the driver loudly as they drove off.

Seto felt the warmth from Yami's leg pressed warmly against his as the car rushed down the freeway.

He was secretly amazed at how well they communicated in the doctor's office. Yami had even stuck his wrist out willingly, looking him right in the eye.

Seto shifted, his mind racing with confused thoughts. So, if the boy wasn't afraid of needles, what was he afraid of? The pain?

No, because Yami had gone through that procedure without anesthetic. He barely even cried, his eyes were only slightly wet around the corners as his other hand gripped his knee tightly.

And Seto was sure it had hurt because he had seen the angry red blisters the laser had left on Yami's skin as the doctor pulled the tube away.

He glanced down at Yami, who was sitting very silently beside him, watching the buildings rush by outside their tinted windows. He lifted his head and called out to his driver, "Make a turn here, stop by the shopping district."

He was going to buy Yami some new clothes; he fucking deserved it after all he had been through. Seto paused for a moment and then reached up to his collar to remove his pin. It was his direct line to Isono and it had a GPS built in, so, if the kid somehow managed to lose his bodyguards, this would make finding him a lot easier.

Seto grabbed Yami's hand and pressed the pin into his palm, smiling and nodding. He watched with deep amusement as Yami opened his palm to stare incredulously at the pin.

Yami was shaking all over, unable to contain his disbelief and excitement. His owner had gifted him with this pin? Why? As a reward?

Yami ears rang painfully as he felt his stomach grumble and churn. He was hungry again, and he would much rather have food, than this pin. He stared down at the pin again, not wanting to put it on.

He would be wearing his owner's crest, like some kind of...pet.

Yami shook his head and handed the pin back _. Thank you, I've finished looking at it. It's yours, you can keep it._

Seto saw Yami reach in front of his face and open his palm with the pin sitting in the center. _Was he giving it back because he thinks I want it back?_

He reached up and closed Yami's fingers over it again, pushing his arm back towards him and nodding. _It's yours, you can keep it._

Yami shook his head insistently, shoving his hand back into owner's face.

 _Wear the damn pin for your own safety! It has a GPS!_ Seto thought as he glared at Yami, the car tilting slightly as they made a gentle turn. He watched the boy shake his head and blink furiously back at him, trying to give the pin back.

 _Fine, you don't have to wear it, keep it in your pocket,_ Seto growled as he pointed at Yami's pocket, and then back to the pin, and then back to his pocket. _Put it in!_

Yami watched his owner's finger travel between his pocket and the pin, repeatedly. His owner _really_ wanted him to have this pin...

Fine, Yami thought viciously, shoving the pin into his pocket and giving his owner a fake smile. It might be worth some money; perhaps he could sell it.

Seto watched the boy grimace at him and he turned away, offended.  
Yami didn't like his logo.  
Either that, or he was thinking he couldn't accept it... _because_ it was his logo, and it came directly off his shirt, Seto wasn't sure.  
Maybe he was reading too much into it.

The limo drove past a busy shopping district, parking alongside the curb.  
Seto glanced around, seeing a few people on the street turning to look. Well..shit. He'd rather pull around the block and walk farther than be photographed exiting the car with a strange-looking foreigner.

"Pull around the shopping complex and drive a few blocks farther." Seto commanded his driver. The driver nodded, steering the nose of the car away from the curb as people began to gather and crowd along the edge of the street. This was bad.

Seto glanced at Yami, making sure the crowds weren't scaring him too much.

Yami widened his eyes he saw people turn their heads the minute they stopped at the side of the road. People began taking out their mobile phones and snapping pictures of them in the car!  
He leaned back into his seat, terrified.  
Could they see through the window?!

His heart thudded loudly in his chest as he inched himself away from the window. His owner was famous...and rich! Of course he would be; he owns the tallest building in the city!

 _Well,_ Yami thought darkly, _I bet these people don't know what he's like behind closed doors. He buys sex toys, like me._

Seto watched with great interest as Yami's demeanor changed quickly when they drove away from the curb. He went from looking frightened to angry in a matter of seconds.

 _He doesn't like people? Or...?_ Seto wondered, watching as the driver pulled into an empty parking lot a few blocks away from the shopping district.

"This will do." Seto said, nodding at his driver. He addressed his body guards, "Keep about 4 meters away. My cell will be on. A call or a vibration to the GPS in the boy's pocket will suffice as a signal for danger. If you see the boy wander off, keep him in sight."

Yami felt his fear return as he watched his owner speak seriously with his guards. He was probably telling them to watch him. He would not be able to run….but he could try! This was his first chance!

Yami watched the men nod simultaneously as his owner swept out of the vehicle, not bothering to look at them. He sat very still in his seat, staring at the guards. Suddenly, he heard his owner call his name from outside the door, "Yami..."And something else in the strange language.

Yami swallowed nervously as he climbed out of the vehicle. His shoes crunched across the gravel and his owner didn't touch him at all.

"Let's go." Seto said, turning a heel and heading towards the street. He felt Yami hesitate behind him, but to his relief, he heard the quick crunching of gravel as the boy hurried to catch up with him.

 _He's not holding my hand!_ Yami realized as his feet began to freeze up again _. Move, walk!_ He screamed at himself, and he ran forwards to fall into step behind his owner.

Seeing his owner walk down the street in front of him only made him realize how much smaller he was in comparison. His head only reached the middle of his owner's back, that's how tall he was!

Yami glanced down at his feet, noticing that the sidewalk seemed to sparkle. How was everything so clean in this country?  
He scanned the edges of the curb, seeing rows and rows of car wheels lining the side.

There wasn't garbage anywhere to be seen! Weren't they in the city? Weren't cities supposed to be dirty because many people walked by every day?

His owner was getting a bit farther away and Yami slowed his pace, glancing up at the shiny tall buildings that surrounded them. They were walking down a narrow sidewalk filled with shops on the side.

He could see the bright flashing signs, displaying pictures of pretty women with long black hair, dogs, and more of the strange language. There were people around them acting strangely, ducking their heads down every time they walked past his owner, or ignoring him completely. Only a few people were boldly staring.

Yami watched these people's faces closely. The people who looked shocked would duck their heads down and hurry past. The people who stared were the worst. Their heads turned as they walked by, and Yami had never felt more insignificant. He caught a few odd expressions of fear...and anger?

Some people even gave him a few glances, and Yami's wrist began to itch and burn again. He stared down at his bandages, expecting to see blood spotting the white cloth, but he saw none.  
It was clean.  
So his skin was just burning from the residual sensations of the blinking tube needle.

Yami clenched his fists and hurried forwards, noticing that everyone around him was dressed cleanly. There were people crowded in front of a small store with a red awning sticking out on the side.

Suddenly, the light smell of vanilla and strawberries drifted past his nose and Yami's head began to spin. He hadn't eaten anything since the rice triangles...!

He saw his owner's light brown hair almost disappearing into the busy crowd further up the street as more people began to appear around them.

The sun was rising higher into the middle of the sky and it was starting to get busy. Yami wanted to eat one of the vanilla treats…badly.  
But he had no money, he didn't even know what the money looked like in this country! Was it coins? Paper? He needed his owner to buy him one. Or maybe, he could run...!

Yami turned to look for his owner again, searching for the crop of light brown hair, realizing he had disappeared. Fear began building up in his chest as he stared at the food stand, where the man wearing a red-and-white striped hat was handing out wrapped treats to the groups of teenagers hovering by the window.

They were soft cones, with whipped cream stacked heavily on top in a pointed swirl, and freshly sliced strawberries placed in a pretty dotted pattern down along the sides.

His owner had disappeared!  
_  
Did he forget about me?_ Yami thought frantically, turning to look down the street behind him and almost jumped out of his skin as he saw two of his owner's bodyguards walking towards him.

Ah, they _were_ following them, just not very closely. His owner was very smart.

Now, Yami was thankful he didn't choose to run. He could use this information to measure how far away the body guards were, but he only saw two...where was the third?

"Yami."

Frightened, Yami spun around and saw his owner standing behind him, his arms folded across his chest. Was he angry?

Seto narrowed his eyes down at Yami, wondering why he had stopped in the middle of the street. Did he want a crepe?

 _Anything I eat out here is not drugged_ , _so I'll eat as much as I can_! Yami thought ferociously to himself as he tried to smile at his owner. He pointed at the stand.

 _That's not how you ask for things_ , Seto thought irritably, secretly glad the boy hadn't bolted in the opposite direction and caused a scene. He glanced up at the stand, realizing the crepes were only 700 yen. Shit. He didn't carry coins; only bills.

 _Well_ , Seto thought, reaching into his wallet, _this could be a learning experience. I'll get to observe how he handles money._

He handed Yami a 1,000 yen bill and lifted his eyes, encouraging him to approach the stand by himself.

He watched as Yami's hand tightened around the bill and his eyes widened fearfully.

Yami turned to stare at the stand. Was his owner letting him go up to the stand and order it himself? But he could barely speak the language, much less know how much he was holding!

He saw his owner stand back a few paces along the side of the street and stare at him, amused.

 _Why does he enjoy watching me so much?_ Yami thought angrily _, it's like he thinks it's funny! He enjoys watching me struggle...this man...!_

Yami stalked over to the cart, frowning, his fear fading away as he felt incredibly annoyed. The man in the red-and-white striped hat smiled nervously at him and nodded, speaking in the foreign language.

Yami realized the entire selection of treats were displayed along the top of the board behind the man's head. _Smile,_ Yami instructed himself, and he smiled the friendliest smile he could manage as he pointed at the photo of the strawberries and cream wrap.

The man blinked and nodded at him, smiling back shakily as he leaned over his shoulder and shouted something. He ducked his head forward with a hand outstretched.

Yami handed him the bill, watching him smoothly hand him back 3 silver coins. He accepted them from the man, feeling his owner's eyes watching his every move.

He stared at the shiny coins in his hand. Each of the coins had the number 100 on them. He had 3, so...300. How much was this?! What could he buy with this?

Yami glanced up at the board, realizing a lot of the items on the left side of the board were under 300. Actually, most of the treats on the board were listed under 150!

Understanding slowly began to dawn on Yami as he realized: this food was...cheap!

Food in this country could be bought with only one coin?! No... two coins! So, then...

Yami swallowed and stepped aside for the people behind him to approach the counter. That meant the amount of money his owner had was…. immeasurable!

If one coin could buy him food that would fill him with one meal...! Yami stopped thinking about it. His mind was still spinning as the man shouted something out the window and peered out, looking at him.

Yami nodded and reached out to accept the wrapped cream from his hands. The man nodded and said something to him. Yami dipped his head down, the way he saw people do anytime they finished speaking to each other.

He had seen the other people exiting the shops bowing like this to each other as they carried their bags of purchases.  
He assumed this was a custom of this country, it didn't matter if it felt odd when he did it.  
He had to do it.  
If he wanted to survive here, without being attached to his owner, he would do anything.

He watched the man's face carefully, and the man seemed to be hiding his shock. It was only for a quick second because he turned to the next customer immediately.

No longer hungry, Yami gripped the wrapped cream tightly and the three coins began to heat up in his palm as he hurried back to his owner.

Seto had watched the entire exchange carefully. He saw everything, from the way Yami had smiled charmingly at the man and pointed to the menu.

He watched the man falter and call out an order for a strawberry-cream crepe.  
He saw Yami hand the bill over readily and accept the change, looking in his palm, scanning the board above his head quickly, before stepping aside out of the way for the people behind him.

Then, Yami had stared at the menu some more, looking down into his palm again before the man yelled his order. Yami accepted the crepe with both hands and bowed respectfully before hurrying back to his side.

 _Damn, he could probably assimilate well,_ Seto thought as Yami approached him cautiously, his hand wavering. _He's probably wondering if he should give back the change, or if he should keep it so he could buy more snacks later...now that he knows how much he has._

Yami watched his owner nod at him approvingly and walk away.

 _Wh..that's it?!_ Yami thought incredulously, hurrying to fall into step behind him again. _Why does he enjoy watching so much?! What an odd personality...!_

Yami gripped the three coins tightly and slipped them into his pocket, feeling them clink softly over the pin.

Now, he had money.

His owner was going to regret giving him access to money.  
He would save this, little by little, even if it took him weeks and weeks.

If food could be bought this easily, he wouldn't need to steal!  
If he learned the language, he could get a job selling bread and live his life!

* * *

**Author's note:**

Hello new readers! Welcome, seasoned followers! Thank you for your continued support in this story featuring these two wonderful boys! Your comments, critiques and reviews are super appreciated!

The more feedback I get, the more motivated I become!

A HUGE thank you to my editor **Animaniac1017!** You breathe new life into my work and your astounding attention to detail is much appreciated! Slaving away on our keyboards together at 1AM is how true bonds of friendship are formed. LOL

Next chapter up **SATURDAY 11/4/17**

Hugs and love,  
Ugli

**POST SCRIPT regarding the tone and wording of this story:**

If I am vague in my descriptions anywhere, or I neglect to mention something explicitly (like Mokuba's exact age, Kaiba's exact age, Yami's exact age), its because I hope that you, the reader, will want to fill in the blanks yourself.

Yami addresses Kaiba as "my owner" or "owner" in his mind because its impersonal, and Kaiba's name has no meaning to him…yet. Hopefully when the two grow closer, Yami will begin to address Kaiba as "Seto"...Let's hope!

Kaiba refers to Yami as "the foreigner", "the boy," and "kid" in his mind (even tho they're close in age) because he's condescending and rude. (In cannon, he calls the entire yugi-gang "kids" lmfao, like, you is all the same age!)

And, no, Kaiba calling Yami "kid" or "boy" in his head does **not** mean Yami is underage.

All characters depicted here ! are! Of! A! Consenting! Age!

Apologies if it wasn't blatantly obvious...holy mother of fuck. *SHIVERS*..

-and to those flamers who are private messaging me saying " **uR wRiTinG ch1ld p0rn!"**

*EYELID TWITCH*  
Really?  
Really?  
Really.  
Really?  
Really.

 **P.P.S,** to the anon who sent weird youtube links and wrote to me saying "I will kill myself if you don't continue writing this"

1) I appreciate that you're this passionate about what I'm writing but  
2) suicide is not a joking matter and if you intended it to be a joke, I'm not taking it as one.

Okay. now that I got that off my chest.  
thank you for reading this far down.

signing off (again),

Ugli


	6. I couldn't think

They approached a wide crossing and Yami's eyes widened even further as he stared at the crowds of dark haired people gathering around the stop light. Cars passed by quietly and there were so many groups of people who were dressed the same!

There was a group of men in suits, all carrying the same briefcase, chatting to each other happily. There were mothers, carrying their babies in front of them, with their husbands hovering protectively behind them. There were even groups of girls ...very pretty girls.

Yami watched with great interest as everyone waited for the light to turn green on the other side.

The girls were giggling, all carrying the same bag, wearing the same tops, checkered skirts, and socks; even their shoes were alike!

Yami stared at the backs of their heads, watching their dark hair glisten in the sun as they turned to laugh at each other's jokes. Did they all wear their hairstyles the same way too?

 _How odd! I must stand out a lot_ , Yami thought uneasily, looking up at his owner's back, realizing his owner stood out even more at his great height and light brown hair. Yet people seemed to be ignoring them. Even more curious...!

 _I wonder if I can blend in,_ Yami thought darkly as he followed his owner carefully as they crossed the wide street, keeping his arms close to his body as people pushed past him in the opposite direction. Yami quickly finished his wrapped cream in three bites, surprised that it was so small.

It barely filled him up and his stomach grumbled even more as he discarded the wrapper in a large metal can hugging the side of the road.

The sidewalk they approached was now wider than it had ever been, and enormous throngs of people were hustling and bustling around them on every side.

 _Amazing!_ Yami thought, hurrying to catch up with his owner, secretly wishing he would slow down so he could observe his surroundings better. There were so many people all at once, everywhere!

They walked past more shops, which had open storefronts like the marketplaces Yami had seen in his own country. But instead of stands, they were small rooms that went inwards, tucked into the building with stacks and stacks of windows above them; probably other shops, or living spaces.

Suddenly, they stopped at a brightly lit entrance with a rounded circling glass door. Yami watched as children played around in it, spinning the panes of glass around in the circle while people moved around them to use the doors on the side, clearly irritated but not saying anything.

His owner turned to smile down at him and pointed at the door. They were going in here?!  
Yami turned his gaze upwards at the building they were entering, craning his neck, feeling his shoulders tighten as the stories seemed to never end! There were rows of brightly lit screens lining the building all the way up. There were so many screens everywhere!

What country did the nameless boy live in where he couldn't have access to a screen? Yami didn't know, nor did he care. Everything was so bright it was making his eyes hurt and water. This outing was worth the pain of the blinking tube needle and the humiliation with the beads.

If he continued to please his owner, he would be taken out here more often and he could learn more about this country!

He followed his owner into the building, surprised that his owner held the door open for him.

 _Well, thank you,_ Yami thought, secretly glad. He stepped into the building, staring at the automatic stairs immediately to his right. It had a large amount of people standing on it, steadily moving upwards.

His owner strode forwards without looking at him to see if he was following, and Yami felt another twinge of annoyance. He knew the guards were around, but his owner was acting so...arrogantly. Almost as if this outing was troublesome for him.

His owner stopped in the middle of the floor and Yami frowned, wondering why he chose to stand in the middle where there were no shops. Weren't they here to purchase things?

Seto waited for Yami to catch up with him, wondering when he had eaten the crepe. Maybe he was still hungry.

Yami stood beside his owner, feeling irritated. What? Why are we here in the middle?  
He watched his owner point a finger upwards. _Look up._

Yami looked up, and his breath caught in his throat. He saw a bright spiral that reached all the way to the top. He could see the tips of people's heads as they passed by the edge. This entire building was a spiral of shops! Amazing!

Suddenly, Yami's irritation vanished, replaced by wonder and intrigue. His owner wanted to show this to him on purpose. How nice.

Seto watched as Yami smiled and nodded at him appreciatively, and he brushed past him again, pointing at the escalator. Where do you want to go?

Yami felt his excitement grow as he watched his owner point a slender finger towards the moving stairs.

 _Yes..yes! Let's go up!_ Yami thought happily, grabbing his owner's hand without thinking and practically dragging him towards the moving stairs.

He had seen a store he already wanted to enter. It was full of shoes and it was just above their heads.

Seto felt Yami tugging on his hand warmly and his chest started to feel tight. This kid was just holding his hand casually.

 _That's fine, he's just excited,_ Seto thought airily, his heart jumping frantically up to his throat.

His mind began to wander as he spotted many other couples clinging to each other while they rode up the escalator, and he briefly wondered why Yami hadn't let go yet. He was obviously going to follow-how the hell else was he going to pay for anything? The boy couldn't read or ask for anything in Japanese.

They stepped off the escalator and Seto watched as Yami pulled him forwards into a shoe boutique.

"Welcome." The woman at the door bowed at them and Seto tried to nod back but was jerked forward forcefully. _Jesus...this guy_ , Seto thought irritably, watching Yami's eyes dart around the shelves excitedly.

Yami felt his owner resisting him slightly, but he didn't care. He pulled him forward into the shop anyway, the nameless boy's advice ringing in his ears.

_"... Take advantage of your owner's wealth! Money is meaningless to them anyway, so make them buy you everything you want, because you may never have it again...!"_

_I definitely agree with that sentiment_ , Yami thought privately, his eyes landing on a pair of dark boots with a flat, sturdy heel.

 _My owner has so much wealth he probably doesn't know what to do with it!_ Yami thought happily, scanning the shop excitedly. _He is treating this outing like a chore, because I need clothes._

 _Anything he chooses to spare for me right now is insignificant, so I must choose well. These clothes must last me a while. For him...this doesn't matter,_ Yami mused darkly, shooting a glance at his owner who seemed to uninterested in his surroundings, frowning.

Seto was having an unpleasant flashback. It was only a few months ago, he had gone shoe shopping ...with a so-called girlfriend. She always insisted they be seen together in public as much as possible, grabbing his arm purposely anytime a camera flashed.

He didn't mind the attention, but he felt used.

And he knew she was using him, but he couldn't find anything in himself to give a shit.

She was great in bed and that was the only thing he needed from her.

They had shopped for shoes publicly, with cameras following them throughout the store, and the next day, she was photographed wearing them, hanging onto the arm of a popular musician.

It had made the media explode into a frenzy, and Seto vowed never to be seen in public with another woman that flashy again. Oddly enough, a sparkling water company had requested to film a commercial opportunity with him, to help him "deal with heartbreak."  
That thought made him laugh.

Now that he was watching Yami point excitedly at a pair of shoes...he felt offended. It was a strange parallel. He knew Yami was using him, but for some reason, it was bothering him a lot more than it should.

Seto nodded, agreeing. _Yes, I'll buy those shoes for you._

He saw Yami light up visibly, smiling widely at him, his teeth very white against his tanned skin. Did the boy know he was alluring? Was he doing this on purpose?  
Of course he was.

Yami watched as his owner approached the counter and speak to the man. He listened intently, for any familiar syllables.

"How many styles of that boot do you have?" Seto asked evenly, feeling Yami shuffle his feet excitedly behind him.

"Three," The employee responded, bobbing his head respectfully, "The thick sole and heel are the main design. While the one on display has no straps or buckles, it's sister shoes have a wide buckle and a sticky strap across the top."

"I see." Seto said calmly, "Please fit the boy accordingly. We'll be taking all three."

The man nodded silently and motioned for his employee to help the foreigner.

Yami watched as a woman moved towards him with a large metal strip. Slightly afraid, he backed away, glancing at his owner, who wasn't looking at him. He was still talking with the man.

The woman smiled kindly at him and pointed at her foot. She set down what she was holding and knelt by a plush bench, patting the seat and nodding.

 _Ah...measurement device_. Yami nodded and sat quickly, his heart pounding in his ears.

The woman carefully took his shoe off and placed his foot into the device. He could feel the cold metal seeping through to his sock and the woman nodded, handing him back the shoe. And that was it. The woman called out a something in the strange language and the man behind the counter nodded.

Yami glanced up at his owner, who was now carrying three small bags, and he gestured for him to stand. How...had they done that so quickly? The woman had barely measured him! Also, why did his owner buy three?

Yami's heart sank quickly, realizing this was probably going to be his only outing for a _very_ long time.

He was going to be locked back in his room and these were going to be his only sets of clothes.

Yami swallowed thickly, feeling angry with himself as he followed his owner out the store, glaring at his height while biting back tears. The nameless boy's voice pounded through his brain.

_" If you manage to find an officer, hold onto their arm and don't let go! You will be saved."_

Yami gripped the pen in his pocket tightly, feeling his wrist burn and itch uncomfortably again. He needed more food, more money, and more information.

Clothes would have to wait. This outing would be wasted if he didn't search for an officer.

What did this country's officers look like? Yami didn't know, he hadn't seen one yet.

Seto chanced a look behind him, expecting to see a happy face, but instead was met with a dark glare. His heart skipped a beat as he paused in his step, tilting his head curiously at Yami. _What?_

Yami saw his owner pause and stare at him.  
_  
Don't look at me, don't touch me, don't even think about me._ Yami seethed privately, looking away pointedly. _You bring various doctors around to do strange things to me. You just want your toy to be unmarked._

He didn't care about finding clothes anymore.  
He was hungry, tired, and afraid.  
He wanted to lay down and be left alone for a full night and a full day.  
He didn't want to be here anymore.  
It was too loud, too bright, too clean...too new.

Seto set his teeth and his jaw began to hurt from his tense clenching. This kid was throwing a tantrum, for some reason.  
Why?  
They had just gotten here!  
Was he hungry?  
No, he just ate.  
Did he want to return the goddamn shoes?!

Seto could feel a headache coming on. He needed a way to communicate with this boy...! Wasn't there a bookstore in this complex?

Seto felt his excitement rise. If Yami knew how to read and write in his own language, he could easily communicate!

Wait, could he read and write in his own language? Seto wondered, staring at Yami, who was looking glumly down into the crowds beneath them.

Of course he could! He was smart as hell, and he knew how to hold a fucking pen! Seto mentally slapped himself and scanned the level for elevators.

The bookstore would be quieter than the commotion they were experiencing now on the first level, and it was located at the very top...

"Yami, let's go." Seto said loudly, gesturing towards the elevators. He saw Yami ignore him, still staring sullenly down at the crowds on the floor beneath them.  
Did he hear him?

"Yami!" Seto called again, waiting for a reply. No answer. Just the same, dark look scanning the crowd beneath them. What was he looking for?

Yami was looking for an officer, or anyone who resembled an officer. He heard his owner call him twice.  
Yami ignored him.  
He wasn't going anywhere with him unless he was dragged.  
Yami felt a cold hand around his wrist and he shivered.  
Okay, he was going to be dragged.

He let his owner pull him into a small, crowded room full of people and he watched as the metal doors slid shut in his vision. Everything was hot in this tiny metal box, why were they in here? He hated it.

The box stopped at a level and several people got out and entered. The doors closed and they continued upwards again. The box emptied as they rose higher - with more people leaving and fewer people getting back on - until they reached the very top.

 _I don't care about this!_ Yami thought angrily, shooting another glare at his owner. _Stop trying to show me this building. I'm not enjoying this._

Seto lightly ignored the glares he was getting from Yami. He was determined to find out what language the boy spoke, and his mind was filled with how he could get his hands on a translation dictionary.

The doors opened and Yami felt his owner tug his arm gently.

 _No, don't touch me_ , Yami hissed to himself, wrenching his hand away and hurrying out of the metal box first.

Seto blinked, trying not to feel offended as he stepped out after Yami.  
Fine, he could get lost all he wanted.  
Seto turned on his heel and made his way steadily past each brightly-lit shop, looking for the familiar square logo of the bookstore.

He didn't care if Yami wasn't following him now. His guards weren't far behind, so it didn't matter anyway.

Yami watched in amazement as his owner stalked angrily away from him, leaving him standing alone.

 _Oh, good riddance to you too!_ Yami thought happily, heading in the opposite direction, knowing the guards were going to be coming up behind him soon, so he wanted to be out of sight as much as possible.

He saw many brightly-lit shops with beautiful displays and realized it was much quieter up on this level.

Yami carefully stepped into one shop that looked nearly empty, enjoying the silence. The clothes he saw on the mannequin looked simple, but elegant. He wondered why no one was in this shop; these clothes were beautiful!

A woman appeared at his side and nodded at him, speaking in the foreign language.

Yami nodded back politely and eyed the room curiously. The woman continued speaking, pointing at the clothes on the walls. Yami nodded, not understanding a single word. He walked past a mannequin and spotted a tag hanging out the sleeve. Yami lifted it slightly to see how much it was.

120,000.* (roughly 1,000 USD)

Yami blinked and lowered his hand slowly, feeling himself grow numb.

This one shirt, could buy him a five-year supply of the wrapped cream desserts! Ridiculous. No wonder no one was in this shop, one shirt cost a thousand meals!

The woman kept speaking, clearly trying to make conversation.

 _I'll bet she's lonely in here,_ Yami thought forlornly, and he nodded politely again before quickly hurrying out of the store.

Yami walked past a few other shops, his eyes wide with interest. One had a light pink storefront and he thought that color was pretty, so he headed towards it, wondering what the store sold.

It was undergarments. For women.  
They were very lacy undergarments, with bows, frills, and the girliest patterns Yami had ever seen. The mannequins sparkled back at him and Yami felt himself blush.

 _Wow..!_ He thought, as he caught the glare of the woman standing at the front. Her face was clearly saying, "It is rude to stare at such indecent things in public."

He ducked his head apologetically and hurried past, his arms and legs shaking.

If...his owner constantly had beautiful women, did they look like that under their clothes? Unbelievable...! Yami felt a dark cloud of despair creeping up from around him. Then what did his owner want with a male toy?

Unless he was bored with women.

Was that why he was always watching instead of touching?

Yami trembled as that realization crashed over him violently. He had yet to see his owner with a woman, so he couldn't say but perhaps if his owner went back to bedding women, he would be spared...!

He walked a few paces forwards and passed by a large store filled with books, magazines and posters. Yami kept walking and he stopped in his tracks, realizing... he had passed a bookstore!

His weapon for escape was in this store!

Yami turned on his heel and marched purposefully inside, intent on finding a translation dictionary with his language on it.

If he was armed with that, he would be unstoppable. Even his owner wouldn't be able to keep him from leaving. He could use his words cleverly and lie.

Seto was already in the aisle with the dictionaries, but he realized he was missing a crucial piece of information. Yami. He needed Yami to tell him what language he spoke. Goddammit.

Seto bent down and frowned, tapping the shelves methodically, wondering if he should hire a male or female tutor.  
Why did that bother him so much?  
Yami clearly liked men...right?  
So, he should clearly hire a woman…. right?  
And what if gender didn't matter?  
How could he safely test this theory...?

Yami made his way through the store row by row, looking for anything familiar. He guessed it would be in the back, because dictionaries were not popular things to be sold in the front. He methodically combed the aisles, staring at each book carefully before circling around and checking the other side of the shelf.

He froze when he saw a now-familiar, slender finger, tapping on a book from the other side of the shelf.

Terrified, Yami retracted his steps quickly, staying out of view.

His owner was already here! How?! How was his owner so clever?!

Yami glared at the pale finger from the next aisle over, catching a glimpse of his owner's light brown hair from between the cracks in the shelves, and he leaned back against the wall, his mind racing.

If his owner knew what language he spoke, would that be bad thing?  
His owner would then be able to communicate with him, and that would put him at a great disadvantage!

He needed the owner to think he was stupid.

Seto frowned at a Polish dictionary, his fingertips brushing the spine lightly as he began to worry. Where the hell was Yami?  
He was sure he'd come straight here.  
Maybe he had been distracted along the way.  
There were a few other shops between here and the elevator.

One easy way to find out.

Seto slipped out his mobile phone and accessed his own GPS. If Yami kept the pin in his pocket and hadn't thrown it out when he wasn't looking, this should tell him exactly where he was.

A tiny red dot appeared right where he was standing on the map, in the complex, in the bookstore.

What the hell? A glitch? No, Yami was….here! Watching him...! Holy shit. Clever.  
Was he hiding on purpose? Why?

Seto racked his brain, trying to think of a reason why.  
He couldn't come up with one.  
He knew Yami wanted to learn the language, so what the hell was the problem?

 _Breathe,_ Seto commanded himself. If this kid wanted to play games, he could beat him at his own game. Yami probably didn't want him to know what language he spoke, which was why he didn't speak at all during their time together.

 _Oh, that little shit...!_ Seto cursed. _So, it's okay for him to know my language, but he's not okay with disclosing that information in return. Cold. He's going to regret that._

Out from the corner of his eye, Seto saw a movement.

 _Oh. Found you!_ He thought gleefully, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He walked away from the aisle casually, making sure to shuffle his feet louder than usual, making sure Yami could hear him.

Yami held his breath, watching his owner stand up and leave the aisle slowly.  
He couldn't see his face through the books, but he was sure he looked angry.  
When did his owner ever _not_ look angry?

Yami paused and waited, listening for any sound that his owner would return. He heard only the light chatter coming from the other guests in the store.  
The coast was clear. It was safe to inspect the shelf now.

He stepped out from behind the shelf and suddenly a cold hand grabbed his shoulder. Before Yami could register anything else that was happening, he had been spun around and pinned against the wall, his owner's icy blue eyes glaring down at him from his great height.

 _O..h..._ Yami thought weakly, feeling his knees give way beneath him. He tried to raise his hand in a half-hearted wave, his blood rushing loudly in his ears, "H-hello…"

That seemed to make his owner angrier. His hand was pinned back against the wall, his owner's slender fingers slipped tightly through his.

Yami tried to jerk his hand away by lowering it, but his owner only pressed it into the wall harder. He felt his knuckles sting as they scraped along the wall.

 _I-I'm sorry?_ Yami thought desperately, blinking up at his owner. Were they going to leave now? Because he had been caught sneaking around?

Seto watched Yami blink back at him fearfully, his eyes wide, his lips trembling, clearly afraid.

 _Yeah, hide and seek isn't that fun, is it?_ Seto thought viciously, gripping Yami's hand tighter as he held it firmly back against the wall. He watched the boy shake his head at him.

 _How about nodding?_ Seto thought as he nodded slowly, grinning evilly down at Yami.

Yami shook his head at him again. His bottom lip trembled even more and his eyes looked slightly wet at the corners.

Seto felt a strange fire spreading through his chest as he watched Yami's lips quiver. He bent down to kiss him, spitefully shoving his tongue deeply into Yami's hot, dense mouth. He felt Yami freeze suddenly but relax almost as quickly, Yami's fingers curled into his as he returned the kiss with equal ferocity.

Seto slipped his other hand through the back of Yami's spiky hair, pushing their lips together, harder, trying to inhale him. This boy was addicting. He could feel Yami's teeth grazing along his lower lip and he suppressed a shudder. Oh god...he had never kissed anyone that made him feel anything this intensely before.

More.

Seto parted his mouth and felt Yami's tongue sliding silkily past his teeth and sensually lick the roof of his mouth. He lost it. He shoved his knee forcefully up between Yami's legs and he felt him gasp deeply into the kiss.

_Yes, you like that? More._

Yami felt weak and dizzy. His owner was kissing him again, roughly, playfully.  
In public.  
Where anyone could walk by and see them!  
Was he crazy?

His owner shoved his fingers through his hair and tugged, and Yami felt his thoughts blur. What was his plan again...? He had forgotten when his owner's tongue entered his mouth hungrily. It had erased everything in his mind and there was nothing except that warm, buzzing feeling, which was growing stronger by the second the longer their lips were touching. He wanted to taste his owner...

Yami tentatively pressed his tongue past his owner's teeth and licked the top of his mouth, feeling the unique bumps and ridges along the tip of his tongue.

Oh…his owner tasted..sweet! He seemed desperate now, and Yami felt his owner shove a knee deep into his center while pulling his hair.

Yami gasped as strong heat rose up from below. He reached up to thread his fingers through his owner's hair; every strand was soft.

He grabbed a large fistful, hearing his owner let out a soft huff of air. Yami pulled his owner's head down lower towards him, opening his mouth wider to suck on his owner's tongue. It was hot, and sweet, and Yami was having a hard time stopping.  
He knew they were in a public store...! How did you stop?!

Suddenly, his owner pushed him away and all of the wonderful sensations vanished immediately. The pressure at his center had been relieved but had been replaced by a dull aching throb. His hand no longer pinned to the wall, fell heavily down to his side.

Yami felt his lips swell and sting as he tried to catch his breath. His ears were ringing lightly and his vision had begun to blur.

He stared at his owner, who had the back of his hand to his mouth, his cold blue eyes glaring at him, as if accusing _him_ of starting it, like it was _his_ fault they started kissing in public. When in fact, it was the other way around!

 _You started it!_ Yami thought viciously, boldly wiping his mouth across the back of his hand to show that he was not going to be accused.

His owner smirked at him and grabbed him by the wrist, leading him forcefully into the dictionary aisle.

Seto pointed at the rows of books, trying to keep his breathing even, ignoring the tightness in his pants. _Pick one._

Yami took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He still felt hot and tingly all over. He trailed his eyes over the rows of languages, all of them unfamiliar. Yami turned his head to look further down the aisle, feeling his owner follow him as he kept his grasp firmly around his wrist.

Yami scanned the rows of books, up and down, left to right, despair rising up quickly within him. He hadn't found the one with his language!  
Where was it?  
It had to be here!

Yami took another step down the aisle, his heart now beating so fast he couldn't hear himself think. His gaze landed on a thin, light blue dictionary and he managed to read down the spine vertically, " **Arabic - Japanese Dictionary** ".

 _FOUND IT!_ Yami thought happily, rushing forwards to grab it off the shelf, unable to contain his excitement. _This language is called Japanese! I am in the country of Japan!_

He felt his owner let go of his wrist as he flipped the book open excitedly in his hands. He could read everything!  
He already caught a few words that looked simple.  
This could work!  
He could learn this in a month!  
Now, he had his weapon for escape.

Yami clutched the book tightly and turned to face his owner, choking slightly on his words, "Thank you...!"

He watched his owner fold his arms across his chest and nod stiffly.

 _Oh, wrong language._ Yami thought, flipping through the dictionary quickly. He read the words over twice in his mind before trying to say it out loud.

"Thank you." Yami read firmly, not taking his eyes off the page. It was easy enough to say and Yami glanced up to see his owner smiling handsomely at him.

Seto turned and walked down the aisle, tracing his long finger along the top edges of the books before quickly pulling out a red one from the shelf.

Yami watched curiously as his owner flipped through the book, paused at a page, and after a long moment, said, "You're welcome."  
Perfectly. In his language.

Yami felt the breath leave his chest and he gripped the dictionary tightly.  
How frightening and wonderful at the same time. How terrifying and marvelous!  
They would now be able to speak with each other! What would he say? What could they talk about?

Yami felt the questions rising up too quickly inside him and he forced himself to calm down, reminding himself of his goal. This didn't change the fact that this man wasn't his friend. This only made things easier for his owner, and more dangerous for himself.

Seto's mind was racing so quickly he could barely contain his excitement.  
Yami spoke Arabic! Finding his country of origin would now be extremely easy.  
He could research this thoroughly in his free time.

Next thing on the shopping list: textbooks and composition books. If Yami was willing, he could have the tutor come in every other day!

Seto strode out of the aisle and pointed towards the children's section of the bookstore, motioning for Yami to follow him. Yami nodded eagerly and fell into step beside him, visibly excited.

Yami followed his owner into another section of the store. This area was covered by a brightly colored rug, with rounded, plush seats and tiny wooden tables with matching tiny chairs. It looked like a reading area for small children.  
Was his owner buying him a children's book? How lucky!  
Yami would gladly take any reading material over nothing.

Seto scanned the shelf quickly and found a textbook for elementary reading and writing. He walked up the next row and grabbed two thick composition books with perforated sheets.  
This was going to be easy.  
Yami could peruse this in his own time, and become somewhat fluent within the year…hopefully.

Yami watched his owner pick up two, bright yellow books. His owner held the pad out to him and flipped through it. There were green gridded squares all along the inside and every page was blank.

His owner then made a writing gesture over the pad. Yami felt his heart leap into his throat as he struggled to draw his next breath.

His owner was actually handing him the tools he needed to escape!  
Was his owner stupid?!

Nodding politely, Yami tried to keep the excitement from showing on his face. Perhaps his owner was stupid after all. He could learn this all in a few months if he studied all night and all day.

He was going to be locked in his room anyway, what else would he do? He accepted the stack of books and pad of sheets from his owner, feeling it's weight lean into his elbows.

Yami winced as the edges of the books rubbed against the bandage on his wrist, causing it to sting slightly. This was fine. He could endure this.

Seto nodded approvingly and looked for middle school textbooks. He caught a few mothers tugging their pre-teen children around towards an aisle. He watched the children drag their feet across the carpeted floors in reluctance, and made a beeline for them.

He would buy every level of textbook for Yami, all the way into college level composition.

Yami followed his owner apprehensively as they moved into another aisle, this time, the aisle was crowded. There were other children, about the boy Mokuba's age, whining at their mothers while the women bent over the shelves, picking up similar thick blank pads.

His owner handed him another textbook and Yami felt his heart stop in his chest as he glanced down at the cover.

The characters were no longer slashes and swirls, but a complex set of lines and dots.

Yami blinked, feeling his anxiety rise.  
Perhaps this language wasn't as easy as he originally thought.  
He would have to look through these later when he was safely back in his room.

Seto moved methodically along the aisles, picking up high school grammar and essay-writing textbooks. He made a mental note to put in an order online, for more practice sheets. He chose a thin, college-level textbook and added that to growing stack in Yami's arms.

The books were now piled in his arms so high, he could barely see Yami's face. The tips of his spiky blond bangs were peeking out from behind the stack, and Seto wondered if he was being too ambitious. Even foreigners who lived in this country took at least 2 to 3 years to learn the language...

Seto slipped out his phone and sent a short text to his bodyguard, asking him to enter the bookstore to carry their purchases.

Yami felt his knees bend under the weight of the books in his arms. His owner was piling everything on too quickly! He didn't get a chance to see what was on the cover!

Suddenly, the weight was lifted off his arms as one of his owner's bodyguards grabbed the stack from him and walked off.

His arms shaking, Yami rubbed the indents on his forearms and made a movement to follow the bodyguard. His dictionary was in that stack!

"Yami...?"

His owner was calling him, and saying something in the strange language after his name. Yami grit his teeth and turned around, watching his owner direct him towards a row of brightly colored pens and pencils.

 _Oh..he's actually going to buy me writing utensils._ Yami thought evenly, moving towards him. _He really doesn't know how quickly I learn things._

Yami deliberately chose a set of ink pens, all bundled together in a set, sitting in a small pouch. This should do; there were at least 12 of the exact same pens in the set, which, if he ran out of ink, he could easily use a new one, and his owner would not notice.

Seto watched as Yami quickly chose the simplest set out of the display. He pointed at the colorful sets, smiling slightly, indicating he had the option to choose prettier ones.  
Yami shook his head roughly at him and picked up a second set of the black pens.

 _Well, okay then,_ Seto thought stiffly, nodding and pointing towards the register where his bodyguard stood, silently waiting.

Yami clenched his fist tightly in his pocket as they walked through the bookstore towards the purchase station.  
His owner had stupidly let him have a second set of pens.  
Now he had 24.  
He would definitely use them well.  
He could carefully measure how much ink he had in each pen and write as many words as he possibly could.

Yami watched with growing excitement as his owner purchased the entire stack of books and pens. The woman bowed, quickly saying something in Japanese and placed everything into four paper bags.

Yami watched his owner immediately hand them to the bodyguard and nod back at the lady.

"Yami.."

His owner called his name again and spoke a few words after. Yami nodded and followed him out the bookstore.

He glanced around, realizing the bodyguard had disappeared.  
Yami began to feel uneasy. His owner's bodyguards were like ghosts; one minute they would show up, and the next, they would be gone. How was he communicating with them? Yami had to find out.

Seto strode forwards, eyeing each shop carefully as they passed, feeling Yami follow closely behind him.  
That was easy enough.  
Now he was itching to get back to his desk to do some proper research…but Yami still needed clothes. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Yami's lightened expression, his eyes darting at all the shops around them, once again excited.

 _Glad to know he's feeling better,_ Seto thought, relieved. Maybe the noise from the crowd really set him off. If that was the case, they would stay on the upper levels. The clothes were pricier up here, but that hardly mattered. As long as Yami managed to find shit he was willing to wear, Seto wasn't going to complain.

 _Well,_ Seto mused, _now that I at least know which part of the world he comes from, finding him clothes he'll like should be easier_.

He turned and gestured for Yami to follow him. There was a trendy, casual-athletic store in the level beneath them. He was sure Yami could find some comfortable clothes there.

Yami followed his owner onto the moving stairs, feeling apprehensive. Were they leaving now? He really wanted to go back into his room to look at those books!  
He could care less if he wore the robe for the rest of his stay; he wouldn't be with this man long anyway.

His owner seemed to be intent on buying him more clothes, because they entered another brightly-lit store. The floors were black and shiny, even the mannequins were black. Yami's eyes widened as he stared at the clothes on the shiny plastic bodies.

They looked comfortable, and stylish! One even had pants with mesh running down the side in a single strip. It looked like these clothes were for hot weather. Many tops also had stripes, and there was a wide variety of jackets and short-sleeved shirts.

 _My owner must either know what he's doing, or he doesn't._ Yami thought happily, thumbing a thin jacket that had deep pockets. _He's letting me have clothes that will last me all seasons. If I run away during the winter, will these clothes keep me warm? How cold is the winter here? Does this country experience winter?_

Yami turned to smile at his owner, pointing at all the mannequins, making sure he chose a variety. He saw his owner nod and head to the purchase station, speaking softly with the lady behind the counter.

Yami touched another set of pants. They only reached the calves of the mannequin, and it looked like something to wear when the weather was partially hot and cold.

 _Perhaps_ , Yami mused, _this country has fall weather too! If so, I must choose these clothes well. I also need a bag...to put my things in when I run._

He glanced around on the walls as he felt his owner watch him carefully. Yami didn't see anything that resembled a bag. He saw a large luggage-type box with handles, and a soft rounded pouch, but no bags.  
They would have to go into another store.

Yami watched as the lady handed his owner several large paper bags and they began to walk towards the exit. He began to panic slightly as he watched his owner walk past him. He needed to communicate that he needed a bag!  
But he didn't have his dictionary! The bodyguard had it.

Yami watched his owner step onto the moving stairs, and he hurried to catch up. Were they leaving now? Yami bravely tapped his owner on the shoulder as they got off the moving stairs. His owner turned to him and tilted his head, his blue eyes sparkling handsomely.

 _Curse you._ Yami thought darkly, but he smiled again and made a gesture as if he was gripping a strap over his shoulder. A bag.

His owner seemed confused, tilting his head again and smiling slightly. Yami felt his chest flutter and he made the gesture for a bag again, looking around him for a shop that had bags. Not on this floor.  
This floor seemed to be exclusively for women, and several groups of women had slowed down in their paces when they passed his owner, staring up at him with shining eyes.

His owner didn't seem to notice, he was still looking back at him strangely.

Disgusted, Yami shot his owner a glare and moved towards the electric stairs, stepping onto the top step, knowing his owner would follow him.

He would browse every floor until he found a bag.  
They weren't leaving until he got a bag.

His owner was impossibly handsome, and women paused in their steps to stare at him. Yami could feel his anger rising.

Seto shook his head, amused, as he followed Yami down the escalator. What was the boy trying to say? He could call his bodyguard back and grab the dictionary?

But Yami seemed to be irritated, his violet eyes were narrowed at the rows of shops, clearly searching for something.

Yami spotted a shop that was filled with people. It seemed popular, and the mannequins were carrying large, cloth bags in a solid color. There, that would do.

He made his way steadily over to it and felt his owner follow him closely.

 _You're really stupid, Owner._ Yami thought gleefully. _Perhaps women take advantage of you like this too, and you don't even care because you have so much wealth!_

Yami pointed at the bag and his owner shook his head.

Yami blinked, immediately retracting the insult in his head. Why was his owner refusing to buy him a bag? Yami shook his head insistently and pointed at the bag again. _I want that one._

His owner turned and walked a few paces away, handing the bags over to yet another bodyguard, and Yami felt angry with himself for not noticing the bodyguard was there the whole time.

His owner began to walk away, and Yami debated if he should call out his name or follow. He ducked his head down and decided to follow, feeling the bodyguard brush past him casually. This was terrible. He wanted to go back to his room.

Seto steadily walked forwards, scanning the shops for a store that carried sturdier bags, made with leather or polyester.  
If Yami wanted a bag, it wasn't going to be fucking shitty.

He turned to glance at the boy, who was looking extremely irritated and exhausted. He was lagging behind more than usual and Seto stopped in his tracks, waiting for him to catch up. He realized Yami probably didn't sleep last night, given how he was busy trying to learn the words from the remote.  
Maybe they should end the day here and have his bodyguards pick up the rest of the purchases.

Seto felt Yami lagging behind again and he whirled around impatiently.  
What was this kid's problem?!

Yami had stopped dead in his tracks when something sparkly caught his eye. He dared himself to breathe as he moved closer to the display window.  
It was jewelry! The most beautiful, delicate jewelry he had ever seen!  
There were thin bands of gold and silver, even some that were slightly pink, all sitting in pretty satin cushions under the warm lights.

There was even a set of bracelets with diamonds set along the stiff curve in an elegant, dotted pattern. There was a design imprinted in the gold bracelets, in-between each of the small diamonds, and Yami realized it was the store's logo.

 _Odd_ , thought Yami, but he really liked the way the bracelets looked.

Yami swallowed, his eyes watering as he stared intensely at the gold and silver bands. Could he convince his owner to buy him one? He could sell it later for a lot of money and live off of it when he was on the run. If his owner was stupid enough to buy him one...he might be able to convince him to buy more than one…!

Yami saw the reflection of his owner in the glass, and he whirled around, keeping his eyes wide. _Please...I would like one._

Seto leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at the jewelry in the window.  
This brand was famous for making couple rings and bracelets for engagements.  
He had been dragged into this store by many a woman, their eyes shining, hoping he would buy them something.

Now Yami was looking at him with bright eyes, holding his breath.

Was this different? Did Yami know these were for couples?

Seto shook his head. They were leaving. He wasn't going to indulge the boy this much.

Yami watched his owner shake his head and a large bubble of disappointment welled up inside him. Why?! Why was his owner willing to buy him _books_ , but not jewelry?! The nameless boy had even said: the owner would try to keep him stupid, and only shower him with expensive gifts, well, this was an expensive gift, wasn't it?! Hadn't he earned it?!

Yami crossed his arms and glared at his owner, who was pointing towards the doorway. He wanted them to leave.

Yami shook his head stubbornly and pointed at the bracelet _. I want one. You have so much money anyway, what is this to you?_

Seto sighed, his eyes darting between the exit below them and Yami's piercing violet glare. This was a new reaction. The reaction was usually immense disappointment, followed by hurtful tears, and then outward begging.

 _Fine, what the hell,_ Seto thought as he motioned for Yami to step into the store. Yami didn't stop glaring. He blinked and stepped aside, as if to say, "You go in first."

Seto curled his fists at his sides, feeling his irritation rise. He wasn't the one who wanted this meaningless garbage! He pointed at the doorway threateningly and glared back. _You step inside first, or I'm leaving._

Yami swayed slightly on the spot, realizing in that moment that he hadn't eaten anything since the wrapped cream that morning. If his owner wanted him to step into the store first, fine, he would, but only because this bracelet would be immensely helpful to him during his escape.

He nodded curtly at his owner and stepped through the doorway, just as a light floral smell assaulted his senses. Why did this store smell like fake flowers?

Seto stepped in angrily after Yami and they were immediately greeted by an older woman who bowed politely before speaking, "How may I help you both today?"

 _We aren't a fucking couple_. Seto growled privately but he set his teeth and spoke, "Fit this boy's wrist with the bracelets seen in the window. He wishes to have a matching set."

The woman tried to hide her surprise as she motioned for Yami to follow her. Yami did, giving him an uncertain glance as he hurried forwards.

Seto watched the woman pat the plush seat by the counter and Yami sat down obediently, throwing another uncertain glance over at Seto.

Yami wondered why his owner was choosing to stay at the doorway.

The woman lifted three bracelets out from beneath the glass, each a different size, sitting snugly in velvet cushions. She looked kindly at Yami and wrapped a measuring tape quickly around his wrist and spoke quietly to her co-worker.

She began slipping the bracelets gently onto Yami's wrist, while Yami watched her with great interest. Her hands were warm and she smelled comforting. His eyes widened as the woman slipped a dazzling gold band on and off his wrist quickly, clearly measuring his wrist size along the inside of the bangle.

Yami's heart leapt mightily and he felt himself smile. This was gold! Real gold!

 _You're going to be wearing them all by your damn self,_ Seto thought angrily, pulling out his phone and silencing the buzzing notifications. He was missing so many important meetings today, and here he was, somehow standing in a couple's jewelry store, entertaining this foreign boy's wishes.

Seto stepped forwards and handed the woman his card. She accepted it graciously with both hands, bowing and hurrying to the register while her co-worker appeared from the backroom, carrying two, dark blue, velvet boxes.

She opened them slowly, holding them up for Yami to see. The gold bracelets sparkled prettily in the light and the tiny diamonds sitting along the edges also seemed to glow. Yami blinked and blinked, turning to give his owner an incredulous stare.

 _They come in sets, you idiot!_ Seto thought furiously as he nodded at the woman. _I'm not buying you two because I want to._

"Would you like to wear them now?" The woman asked Yami, and Yami just blinked, not understanding a word.

"No, he won't be." Seto said shortly, "Please place them in a bag."

 _So I can explain what the fuck this is to him later, and watch his reaction in private_ , Seto thought viciously as the woman nodded and placed the velvet boxes in a white, satin-handled bag and slid it gracefully across the counter.

Seto hooked the bag through his fingers, watching Yami's eyes follow him hungrily as he accepted his credit card back from the older woman.

Both women followed them to the doorway and bowed as they left. Yami bobbed his head awkwardly back at them and glanced up at his owner, unsure if he had made him angry.

 _Well, even if he is angry and chooses not to give these bracelets to me, they will be somewhere in the house,_ Yami thought darkly _. I will steal them if I have to. He did buy them for me, after all, the lady had measured my wrist._

They headed down the escalator and Seto slipped his phone out, giving his driver a quick text. He was so fucking done with the day. They were going home, whether Yami liked it or not. He could probably head into the office and manage to cram some work in before the day ended.

Yami stared up at his owner's back, noticing how the tips of his brown hair dipped down into his collar, suddenly remembering how soft that hair felt between his fingers.

 _He has long hair...sort of_. Yami mused, following closely behind his owner.

As they exited the building, Yami spotted the long black car parked along the side of the street, waiting for them. _Wow,_ he thought, _that was impossibly fast. Where are his bodyguards?_

And as if on cue, the three burly men converged in front of him, appearing from seemingly out of nowhere.

They pulled the doors open and climbed in, just as people began gathering around once more. Yami felt his anxiety rise as he heard people whispering around him and his owner grabbed his hand to pull him into the car, reaching over his legs to shut the door firmly.

"Head to my office." Seto said, and the car slowly rolled forwards. "Drop the boy off at the mansion." He turned to his bodyguards, "Bring him upstairs and make sure to lock the door."

The three men nodded silently and the car began to speed up gently as they pulled onto the freeway.

Yami sat very still, his hands folded tightly in his lap as he watched his owner address the guards and the driver. Were they going back to the house? Yami blinked and felt his eyelids grow heavy. He was exhausted. He had barely slept last night and had barely eaten all day.

He needed to learn the word for "food" in this language quickly.

Seto felt Yami nodding off beside him and he resisted the urge to give him a hard nudge. His spiky head was falling heavily onto his shoulder as the car rocked back and forth gently on the freeway.

Seto looked down, noticing how dark Yami's lashes were against his beautiful olive skin, and he shifted uncomfortably. The boy was getting to him…and not a good way.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Huehuehue they can now communicate with a dictionary lol! Seto is super worried Yami's gonna assault the tutor LOL

Thankful and extremely grateful for **Animaniac1017's** edits :D you keep me sane!

Please leave a review! Let me know what you thought of the chapter! :D  
Next chapter up SATURDAY **11/11/17**

Hugs and love,

Ugli


	7. I couldn't breathe

Yami woke up to the sensation of being lifted and carried gently upwards. He cracked his eyes open and saw a pair of foreboding dark glasses.

He forced himself awake immediately as he realized it was one of the bodyguards carrying him up the stairs of the house.

Where was his owner?

The bodyguard seemed to notice he was awake and set him down onto his feet, right by the door to his room. He was pushed inside and he felt the bodyguard reach an arm around to close the door behind him.

Wait, his dictionary!

"My books!" Yami cried, gripping the bodyguard's arm tightly.

The man shook him off roughly and Yami stumbled back. He desperately made a book gesture, placing his hands together and opening them.  
Book. My books.

The bodyguard straightened up and nodded. He spoke into his sleeve quietly and waited.

 _Ah...that's how they are communicating!_ Yami realized with a jolt.  
That's how they were everywhere, and nowhere at the same time.

Seto had just sat down at his desk in his office when his phone buzzed.  
It was his bodyguard.

Seto picked it up and spoke quickly, "The boy is awake?"

"Yes sir." Came the reply.

Had Yami somehow managed to find a way to communicate with the guards? Seto mused, wishing he had been there to see it.

"Yes, bring him all the purchases and leave them in his room. Let him do whatever he wants with them and be sure to lock the door when you leave." Seto said, before quickly hanging up. He leaned forwards with a heavy sigh.

This day was exhausting, but he had learned a lot about Yami, starting with his language. The search could begin.

Seto stared at the stack of yellow files and papers on his left, and then glanced back at his screen. To work, or to research Yami's background?

Work. He had two and a half days of work piling up.  
Seto leaned back in his chair and began reading the files that had been left on his desk.

Meanwhile, Yami watched as the bodyguards filed into his room, carrying the enormous bags and leaving them on the brown table before leaving.

He heard the lock click and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. It seemed like his owner didn't want to deal with him for the rest of the day, which was great.

Yami rushed towards the bags and began emptying them out methodically, laying out the articles of clothing one by one across the white couch. He counted 8 sets of clothes. Some of the pants had matching white stripes running parallel along the sides, and they matched in pairs with the white jackets - which had black stripes along the sleeves.

Interesting.

Yami quickly changed out of his itchy collared shirt and pants, making sure to carefully empty the pockets before throwing them aside.

He hastily stepped into his new pants, enjoying how the fabric felt cool and light on his skin. He pulled a simple v-necked t-shirt over his head and slipped his hands through the sleeves of the jacket, realizing it also had the same, cool texture.

Yami smiled, finally feeling a bit more comfortable.

He placed the three shiny coins and his owner's pin on the dresser by the bed. Perhaps he could still find a way to sell the pin for money.

Speaking of money...where were the bracelets?

Yami shoved his hands into each of the shopping bags, his fingertips searching for the tiny velvet box. He came up empty. It wasn't in any of the bags.  
Dismayed, Yami frowned and paced the room.

His owner was keeping them on purpose.

Would he have to earn them...? Probably.

Yami shook the thought out of his head and continued emptying the bags, deciding to focus on the books he had received instead. They were much better than the bracelets on any day.

Yami pushed the bags aside and set them carefully onto the floor, stacking the textbooks onto the table. He went through the pile, one by one, realizing that each book went up in difficulty.  
Each time he flipped through a new book, the characters got more and more complex as the text got smaller.

Yami sat back on his heels, shaking with excitement.  
His owner must really want him to learn the language, at least enough, so that they could communicate.

Why? Did he want a friend? Someone to talk with?

Yami grabbed the bright yellow book off from the stack and gripped his translation dictionary, trembling with joy. He sat down comfortably and quickly picked up a pen.

He began copying the letters out of the textbook one by one, pausing to check his dictionary for the translation, then diligently continuing onto the next word - making sure to carefully repeat it out loud to himself before moving on.

Before he knew it, Yami had filled an entire page of the gridded sheet. He tore it out of the pad and began anew, his excitement rising as he started to recognize the words across the page.

_"Cat", "Dog", "Blue", "Red"._

He could do this. He could learn this entire book in one night!

Seto stood up from his desk and stretched slightly, glancing out the window and realized the sun was beginning to set behind him, painting the sky a beautiful bright pink.

There was as soft knock at his door and his secretary entered, wearing a low-cut lacy blouse. She set a file down on his desk and gave him a demure smile. Seto nodded back at her and she paused, hovering at the edge of his desk.

"Are you leaving?" She asked, carefully eyeing the laptop which was still open on his desk. It was an empty question; of course he was leaving.

Seto nodded at her tightly and quickly shut his laptop.  
He wanted to get back home so he could check in on Yami.

"Are you tired?" She asked, running her finger along her collarbone absently, pointedly looking past him.

Seto knew that this was an invitation, and on any other day, he would've considered accepting, but he shook his head.

"Close the door behind you when you leave." He said shortly, turning away from her to stare out the window. Seto could feel her disappointed glare as he heard her shuffle her feet out the door. There was a click, and he sighed again, gathering up his things and heading for the door.

Back in his room, Yami had successfully used up almost half of the gridded pad. Satisfied, he sat back and began counting the sheets.

120.

He had written 120 pages worth of elementary words, but he couldn't put them together in a sentence.

There was an alphabet chart at the beginning of the book, but Yami had ignored that, choosing, instead, to learn the words in groups and remembering the characters that way.

Suddenly, he heard voices from outside his door.  
It sounded like the boy Mokuba had shouted "Seto!"

Yami rushed to the window, just in time to see his owner getting out of the long black car, and he watched as the boy Mokuba ran into his arms. He sighed, watching his breath leave a spot on the window. He watched them hug for a long moment before his owner picked Mokuba up and carried him into the house.

His heart racing frantically, Yami's eyes swept across his room, eyeing the stack of papers sitting beside all of his open books. He had to hide all evidence of his learning, quickly, before his owner came into his room.

Yami grabbed the stack of papers and hastily shoved them under the bed, folding the entire stack in half and leaning them against the wall. There, he would find a better place for them later.

He quickly shoved the elementary book back in the stack and rearranged the books to make it seem like he had rifled through them mindlessly. He place the pens back into the shopping bag - making sure to keep the pen he had used separate – and quickly climbed into the bed, pulling the covers over his head and laying down.

Yami heard Mokuba's voice steadily coming up the stairs and he shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep. He heard a door slam and then nothing.

Yami's heart was thudding loudly in his chest and he dared to open his eyes.

Was no one coming to check on him?

Suddenly, he heard a click, and Yami shut his eyes tightly again, forcing his breathing to appear deep and even. The sound appeared to come from a door in front of him, not from the door by the couch. Was his owner living in the room right beside his?!

Seto entered Yami's room softly through the adjacent door, carefully glancing around, noticing the boy had taken the time to lay out all the new clothes to inspect them. He was already even wearing a set. Seto could see a striped sleeve peeking out from beneath the bedsheets.

He quietly approached Yami's sleeping form, watching his shoulders rise and fall softly.

Seto moved towards the couch, slightly irritated at how the books lay in an unorganized mess across the low table.

He had purposely arranged them in the order of ascending difficulty, and here it seemed like Yami had just carelessly flipped through the stack and decided to take a nap instead. He probably, definitely, needed to hire a tutor if Yami wasn't motivated enough to self-study.

He moved to re-arrange the books, sighing heavily as he stacked the yellow elementary book back onto the top.  
Maybe he should wake the kid up and give him an impromptu lesson. That way, he could see how Yami would react to being tutored.

Seto walked purposely towards the bed and placed a gentle hand on Yami's shoulder. It was warm, and the warmth traveled up his arm and landed deep in his chest.

"Yami." He said softly, shaking him lightly.

Yami kept his eyes closed and forced himself not to react. The numbers on his wrist itched and burned beneath the bandage. He could feel his owner tapping him lightly across the arm.

Seto trailed his hand down Yami's side, feeling the soft curves of his muscles press back into his fingers from beneath the sheets. He was so slender…almost like a girl...

Seto furrowed his brow and leaned forwards, his breath passing across Yami's cheeks.

"Yami!" He hovered above to the boy's ear, shaking him again - harder this time.

Yami felt his owner's hot breath travel down his cheek and he suppressed a shiver, goosebumps traveling up his arms as he forced himself to stay still, shifting slightly and frowning.

"Yami ...wake up." Seto growled, slipping his slender fingers through one of Yami's blonde bangs and tugging slightly. He saw Yami frown and shift in his sleep. Jesus, was this kid a heavy sleeper or what?

Yami felt the breath stop in his chest. He had understood exactly what his owner had said. He had said "wake up", or some form of it.

Yami had read past a section of the textbook where the mom in the text was getting her child ready for school. There was a series of pictures, and Yami had copied the words in the mom's text bubble for a full page, repeating the phrase as he went along. "Wake up, please."

"Yami..!" Seto hissed, pulling the covers off of him suddenly, and Yami quickly sat up, blinking at him.

"Good, you're awake." Seto said stiffly, and he pointed at the table. "Sit over there. I'm going to teach you the alphabet."

Yami gripped the sheets tightly as he tried to catch the sounds falling out of his owner's mouth. He was speaking too quickly for Yami to understand!

His stomach rumbled painfully as he remembered he hadn't had anything to eat since the wrapped cream from that morning. He knew the word for food; he had memorized it in his dictionary.

"Food?" Yami asked, his voice trembling slightly as he watched his owner point angrily at the table.

Seto lowered his hand carefully, his heart thudding loudly in his chest.  
So, Yami did study, at least enough to know how to ask for food.

"Food please." Seto said firmly. Yami looked at him strangely and he repeated himself.

"Food...please." Yami echoed uncertainly, and Seto nodded, striding across the room to the door and calling for Isono.

Yami slid off the bed, his legs shaking with hunger. He walked over to the low table, surprised that his owner had re-arranged the textbooks back into an organized stack.

Isono appeared by the doorway and bobbed his head respectfully, "Mr. Kaiba?"

"Call in a maid to launder these clothes for the boy, and bring in several bowls of udon. I don't think he's eaten all day." Seto said, gripping the door handle tightly as he felt Yami shuffling the books on the table again.

Isono hurried away and he closed the door, making sure to keep it unlocked so the maid could enter.

Yami's eyes followed his owner as he sat down on the floor, facing the stack of books on the low table.

Seto patted the spot beside him and pulled the topmost book from the stack.

"Sit." He said irritably, eyeing the alphabet on the page, hoping he could at least get Yami to speak the sounds, instead of writing them.

Yami approached him cautiously and sat beside him at an arm's length, crossing his legs and staring at him with his large violet eyes.

Seto tilted the book towards him and pointed at the first letter on the chart, "A."

Yami blinked at him and nodded.

Seto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He tapped the letter impatiently and repeated himself, "A."

 _Say it...!_ Seto growled internally, trying to keep his patience. The tutor was going to have a hell of a time if he was struggling just to get Yami to repeat a fucking letter.

"A." Yami said simply, looking away, obviously bored.

Seto sighed. Okay, he didn't want to learn the alphabet. Maybe Yami would learn how hard it would be to read sentences, if he didn't know what the fuck he was looking at.

Seto rifled through the stack and picked up the a 3rd grade book, purposely choosing a page with a difficult sentence.

_Today, my mother is going out shopping._

Seto set the book down heavily in front of Yami, watching his eyes widen as they darted over the page.

 _Yeah, not so easy, is it?_ He thought viciously, propping his head up on one elbow, watching Yami struggle. _Now, do you want to start with the alphabet?_

Yami stared at the sentence and he found he could already recognize the separate letters. There were a few characters in-between, which he had forgotten, but he could just barely read, "today" and "mother".

He glanced up at his owner, who was looking back at him with sparkling blue eyes - clearly amused - and watched as he tapped the alphabet page again.

 _Oh, he enjoys watching me struggle._ Yami thought angrily. _He gave me this hard sentence because he thinks I can't read it. Well, I'll show him._

Yami grabbed the alphabet chart from his owner's hands, quickly refreshing his memory of the characters he had forgotten.

 _I see,_ He thought darkly, _the sentence is easy if I match it to the alphabet, but I will still need to remember it all without the chart._

Seto blinked, startled when Yami snatched the book out of his hands and set it front of him, staring at it angrily.

 _Japanese is a difficult language to learn,_ Seto thought to himself, watching the boy's frown deepen as his eyes darted across the page. _Is he frustrated? Because that's understandable._

The maid entered the room and began gathering the clothes up from the couch.

Yami paid her no mind. He was almost finished pronouncing the sentence in his head. He knew his owner was watching him, secretly laughing at him, and that thought angered him further. He would learn the sentence, and then pretend he didn't know what it said, just to see how his owner would react.

 _'Today, my mother is going out...'_ Was as far as he could read.

Yami didn't understand what the last word meant, but he could sound it out in his head.

The servant entered the room and set down three steaming bowls of hot soup. Yami jerked his head up to stare, his mouth watering as the delicious scent of beef floated up around him.

Yami didn't care if this food was drugged. He would eat it even if it killed him; it looked too delicious. There were thin slices of meat placed artfully on top of thick, white curls-a food he had never seen before. He wanted to eat it so badly.

Yami stuck his hand out to grab the bowl but his finger's rammed into his owner's palm.

Seto rapped the book with his knuckles firmly. _Read the alphabet, and you get to eat._

Yami felt his face heat up with anger as he hastily retracted his hand. His owner was purposely withholding food from him, and he had been doing so, all day!

The servant stood awkwardly by the door before eventually speaking. Yami's mind was buzzing, he didn't hear a word of it, he was famished.

"Let the boy eat." Isono said gently, eyeing the stack of textbooks near Kaiba's elbow. Master Kaiba was clearly trying to be very ambitious, teaching the foreigner grade school sentences.

Yami tried reaching for the bowl again, giving his owner a desperate look. _I don't want to show you I can read! Just give me the food!_

His hand was stopped again, this time, his owner wrapped cold fingers around his wrist and forced his hand back into his lap, tapping the book in front of him.

 _Fine!_ Yami fumed, _if you want me to read this to you, for a bowl of food, I will!_

"Today, my mother is going out shopping." Yami said angrily, shutting both books in front of him with a snap. "Food, please."

There was a long silence. Yami glanced up at the servant, realizing he was staring at him with an expression of pure shock. He looked over at his owner, who was also staring at him with a wide-eyed expression.

Yami could see the whites all around his owner's clear blue eyes.

Now...could he eat?

Yami crossed his arms and glared haughtily at his owner.

Seto was thoroughly shaken. Yami had read and pronounced the sentence accurately, with all the right tones in their correct places. If he had heard this voice over the phone, he wouldn't have been able to determine he was speaking to a foreigner!

Isono bowed, tucking his shaking hands behind his back, "Mr. Kaiba, I will be downstairs if you need anything."

Seto nodded stiffly, his head spinning slightly as he continued to stare at Yami, who was staring right back at him. He heard Isono turn the lock, and the silence rang loudly in the room.

Yami had somehow managed to match the alphabet to the sentence, and then pronounce it correctly, within a matter of minutes! Perhaps the tutor wouldn't have a rough time after all. Yami just needed to be fed and watered beforehand so that he would be cooperative.

Seto shook his head lightly and set the books aside, pushing a bowl of udon towards Yami, who leaned forwards excitedly, peering over the rim.

Yami watched carefully as his owner lifted the bowl and took a light sip.

He copied his owner, wrapping his hands around the edge of the bowl and bringing it to his lips.

The broth...was amazing!

It tasted of warm beef, with a slightly sweet taste at the end of his tongue.

Yami could not stop drinking the soup; he gulped and gulped until he felt a cold hand lower his bowl.

Seto clicked the edge of his own bowl with a spoon and fork.

Yami blinked and watched as his owner picked up the white rolls from inside the soup with two sticks and placed them in his spoon, before eating it from there.

Was that the proper way to eat this?

Yami frowned and eyed his fork. He wanted to eat with the sticks too...could he do it?

No, he was too hungry to try.

He grabbed his fork and stabbed the largest piece of meat in his bowl, showing it into his mouth and chewing slowly, letting the juices spill wonderfully across his tongue. He had never had meat cooked this way before; it was glorious!  
It was soft, but tender at the same time!

 _When I die_ , Yami thought darkly, _this is what I want to have in my mouth right before I leave this earth._

More. He wanted more of everything. He slipped his fork into the thick, white rolls, watching them slide off the end. Annoyed, Yami frowned.  
This was why he wanted to try eating with the sticks.

He twirled his fork around in the soup, catching a huge glob of the white rolls and bit down, knowing he was being unsightly, but he couldn't help himself.  
Yami chewed slowly.  
It tasted like…wheat, along with the slight beef flavor, and...nothing.

 _Well, perhaps I was supposed to eat it with the broth._..Yami thought guilty, realizing he had finished all of his soup.

Seto was quick to read his mind. He had watched as the boy stared crestfallen at the bowl and he pushed the second bowl over to him, just thankful that Yami was eating willingly.

Yami's eyes widened as he stared at the second bowl. _This one is for me too?!_

Without wasting a second, he picked up his spoon and began eating in earnest, stopping a few times to catch his breath, before bending right back down to slurp up the delicious beef broth with the white rolls.

Seto spoke up quietly, tapping his bowl, "Udon."

Yami paused, his spoon loaded with meat and white rolls almost halfway to his mouth. _What…?_

Seto watched the boy blink at him and he stuck his chopsticks into his bowl, lifting up a thick white noodle, "Udon." he repeated.

Understanding began to dawn on Yami. This was called udon!  
He nodded and hastily shoved the last spoonful of beef and udon into his mouth. Yami picked up the bowl and rounded off the soup as well, setting it down with a satisfied sigh.

Seto nodded approvingly, looking into the two empty bowls sitting in front of the kid. Did he want another helping? Anything Yami could eat now would make him worry less later.

Seto held up four fingers, hoping the kid would understand. He put one down, and pointed at his bowl. He then put another two fingers down and pointed at the two empty bowls. He had one finger left standing as he spoke, "Do you want another one? More..udon?"

Yami blinked repeatedly at his owner. Oh... _could_ he?! Have a _third_ bowl? He was still so hungry! It was no longer gnawing at his insides, but his stomach was not yet full.

 _Yes...please!_ Yami nodded and nodded, glancing at the remnants in his owner's bowl. Seto nodded and pulled out his mobile phone from his pocket. He sent Isono a quick text before putting it away again.

Seto then picked up a slice of beef up from his bowl and eyed Yami readily. "Beef." He said in Japanese.

Yami nodded and repeated the word back to him.  
This meat was called "beef."  
Got it. Easy to remember.  
Beef udon.  
He could now ask for one dish of food, whenever he felt hungry, and that thought made him a little happier.

Suddenly, Mokuba burst into the room breathlessly, his eyes wide as he surveyed the scene before him. Seto was sitting casually next to the foreign boy, eating dinner…. without him!

Mokuba narrowed his eyes at the foreigner, clenching his tiny fists at his sides, staring at the stacks of textbooks sitting next to the boy's elbow. "Seto, why aren't we eating downstairs like usual?"

"I'm giving him a lesson." Seto responded gently, nodding towards Yami, who was sitting very still beside him.

Mokuba rushed towards his older brother and elbowed Yami aside roughly, forcing himself into the space between them.

"Move, stranger." He said rudely, and Yami obediently made room, feeling himself grow numb.

Yami gripped his knees tightly as he watched Mokuba glare at him again while grabbing onto their owner's arm.

"Mokuba, please. He can't understand you." Seto sighed wearily, watching Yami's eyes grow large and fearful again as he was subjected to more of his brother's glares.

"I want to eat dinner in here too." Mokuba said staunchly, propping his elbows up on the table, aimlessly flicking a page on one of the textbooks.

"Don't do that. These are new." Seto snapped, snatching the book out of Mokuba's reach and standing smoothly, sliding them off the table and towards the couch. He made a mental note to have a desk put into this room for Yami.

Yami watched with bated breath as his owner grabbed the books out of Mokuba's reach and placed them aside.  
He felt confused, and then amazed.  
Did this mean his owner did not allow Mokuba to have books?  
Did that mean he was more special than Mokuba?!

The servant entered the room with three more bowls of udon and Yami's mouth watered painfully again as the warm scent of beef filled the room. Mokuba cheered loudly and Yami winced. This boy was energetic.  
He stole a glance at his owner, surprised to see him smiling gently at Mokuba.

It seemed his owner enjoyed Mokuba's antics.  
Yami filed this information away in his mind.  
A bowl was placed in front of him and Yami nodded gratefully at the servant, "Thank you." He said automatically, and everyone in the room turned to stare at him.

Yami froze, feeling himself break out into a cold sweat. He needed to stop speaking in his own language!  
It attracted unwanted attention!  
Even the servant was staring at him!  
In his terror, Yami had forgotten how to say, 'thank you' in Japanese, even though he had just learned it earlier that day.

Mokuba's loud slurping broke the silence and Isono bowed, backing out of the room quickly, turning the lock out of habit.

Mokuba jerked his head up, staring at the door and speaking with his mouth full, "Why-ish he locking the door?"

Seto handed Yami a fork, watching him accept it without making eye contact, his head lowered so much, his blonde bangs were obscuring his face. "I don't want Yami walking around outside, unsupervised."

Yami heard his name and almost choked on his food. He forced himself to swallow thickly, his eyes watering as he perked his ears up, trying to pick out sounds in the conversation between his owner and Mokuba.

Mokuba sipped his soup loudly, "Is that his name now? Yami?" _Weird name._

Yami heard his name again and he clenched his teeth, his anxiety rising. They were clearly talking about him! What were they saying? He couldn't understand anything!

"That _is_ his name." Seto said tiredly. Why did everyone in the house keep thinking he'd given the boy a nickname?

Mokuba rounded off his bowl and set it down with a heavy clink. "Whatever." He shrugged, standing quickly and tugging on his older brother's arm, trying pull him into a standing position, "Come play with me!"  
If Seto had time to spend with this stranger, then he definitely had time to play a video game!  
It wasn't fair that this foreigner was getting Seto's attention!  
Couldn't he just hire a tutor?

Yami blinked, feeling his food churn uncomfortably in his stomach as Mokuba tugged insistently at their owner, clearly sounding jealous and annoyed. He watched as their owner stood up and gently led Mokuba out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind them.

Yami sat very still. He was now alone in the room, with the various empty bowls sitting on the table in front of him, the silence ringing heavily in his ears.

He felt his heart hurt from pounding too quickly as he realized: Mokuba did that on purpose!  
That …wasn't fair!  
He was about to receive a language lesson!  
Mokuba had probably lured his owner away with the promise of…his hole!  
How annoying!

Yami clenched his fists, trying not to feel angry. He knew two things: their owner did not allow Mokuba to have books, and Mokuba had been jealous of him the second he had entered the house.

Now, Yami was properly angry.  
At his owner.  
That man had done this on purpose.  
He had purchased two toys, probably because he enjoyed being fought over!  
How despicable!

Yami stood up and grabbed a textbook from the stack, slamming it down onto the table and sitting back down onto the floor stiffly, resolving to self-study. He didn't need his owner, or anyone, to teach him this language.  
He could learn it himself.

Suddenly, the lock clicked open and his owner stepped into the room, looking harassed. His owner sat down quietly beside him and nodded approvingly.

Yami's breath hitched in his throat and he gripped the edge of his book tightly, his body growing numb. That was quick! He hadn't expected his owner to come back so soon!

What happened to Mokuba? Did he get locked away?

Seto pushed the empty bowls across the table and stacked them at the end for Isono to gather later. Yami was clearly attempting to self-study. This was a good sign.

Seto watched the boy blink his large, violet eyes at him, looking fearful, and he nodded again, hoping to convey that he approved.

He turned away and eyed the stack of blank practice sheets and composition books, biting back a sigh. The mountain of textbooks was daunting, even to him.

Although he was accustomed to seeing stacks of books piled in front of him by Gozaburo in his childhood, this stack meant something completely different.

He was going to have to climb this language mountain together with this boy.

Seto glanced over at the foreigner beside him, who was still staring at him oddly.  
Could he do it? Even with the help of a tutor?

Yami watched his owner sigh and stare at the textbooks laid out across the couch in front of them. There were dark bags underneath his owner's eyes and his skin was unusually pale.

 _He's tired!_ Yami realized, feeling his anger evaporate quickly as he realized his owner had refused Mokuba in order to come back and help him learn the language.

Yami swallowed tightly, wondering if he ought to show his owner the practice sheets he had done earlier this afternoon. It seemed like he wouldn't be punished for studying the language! In fact, he might even be rewarded with more food!

 _The nameless boy is wrong! At least in this case!_ Yami desperately hoped, as he continued to stare at his handsome owner, who rapped his knuckles firmly on the textbook again, purposely flipping the book back to the very first page.  
The alphabet.

He had already memorized the alphabet! He needed help stringing them into words with meaning! Yami decided it _was_ better to show his owner the practice sheets he had used.

He stood up quickly and moved towards the bed to grab the papers he had hidden.

Seto frowned, watching the boy rise to his feet and walk away, heading towards the bed. Was he tired? But he had just woken up from a nap! This kid was lazy!

"Hey, come back here! We're not done." Seto snapped, feeling his patience wearing thin. If he could barely get the kid to speak the alphabet, how would the tutor manage to make the kid write anything?! This was troublesome.

Yami heard his owner speak to him in an irritated tone and he ignored him.

 _He wants me to learn the language_ , Yami thought anxiously, sticking his head beneath the bed, feeling around for the stack of papers. _Which means, he'll be happy when he sees this_.

Seto blinked, feeling his irritation rise as the boy ducked under the bed, his ass sticking comically up in the air. What…the fuck?!  
He wasn't playing hide-and-go-seek!  
The tutor was going to have one hell of time with this kid.

He watched as Yami's spiky hair reappeared from underneath the bed and he felt his confusion rise. What the fuck was this kid doing?

Seto palmed his face in his hands, rubbing his temples painfully.  
God, this was agonizing.

Yami hugged the stack of paper to his chest, knowing the first fifty pages were filled with his ugly handwriting, and he had contemplated throwing them out before showing his owner, but he figured showing the entire stack of 120 pages was more impressive. He would surely be rewarded for this!

"Seto." Yami said firmly, quietly taking a seat beside his owner and sliding the pile of practice sheets across the table towards him, bumping the stack of paper against his owner's elbow.

Seto pried his eyes open, his temper rising, "What?"

He glanced down at the stack of sheets sitting by his elbow and his heart stopped in his chest.

Every inch of the practice sheets were covered with the alphabet! And the stack …was thick!

Seto blinked and leaned forwards, intrigued and amazed.  
He reached forwards and picked up the stack, his hands shaking slightly as he leafed through the papers, noting that the boy's handwriting got neater and neater as he continued flipping.

Somewhere in the middle, the boy had stopped writing the alphabet and had moved on to simple words and phrases like, "Sun", "Blue", "Hello", "Wake up", and "Good morning."

Yami held his breath, watching his owner's slender hands flip expertly through his practice sheets, counting them. Was his owner impressed? Angry?

Seto felt himself tremble with excitement. Amazing. This kid was deeply motivated!  
He had already learned the alphabet!

Seto's heart began pounding furiously as he methodically counted through the stack of sheets again.  
A hundred and twenty sheets!  
The kid was taking a nap earlier because he had worked hard!  
He needed to reward this boy somehow….!

Yami felt his anxiety rising as his owner remained silent, carefully inspecting the sheets. He could see his owner's hands trembling slightly and Yami's fear began to rise.  
His owner was angry.  
He had written too many!  
His owner only wanted him to learn enough so that they could communicate, not the whole language!

Suddenly, his owner set the sheets down and pulled him into a tight embrace. Yami felt the wind leave his lungs as his owner's arms closed around his body.

Yami blinked, his heart pounding loudly in his chest. What was going on? Was his owner angry or happy?

Seto brought his hands up to gently cup Yami's face with a small smile. He felt relieved, and elated. This could work! He could bring the tutor in as soon as tomorrow!

"Good. Good job." Seto said, his voice growing hoarse as he watched the boy blink back at him with his large, angular eyes. God, this kid was so pretty.

He raked his eyes across Yami's face, watching his lips tremble. Did this boy want another boner as a reward? Because he had earned it….

Yami reached up and gripped his owner's wrists tightly, feeling the warmth from his owner's hands seep into his face quickly, causing his entire body to heat up uncomfortably. His owner was acting strange...! Was he about to be punished?!

Seto leaned forwards and pressed his lips lightly across the boy's heated cheeks, feeling Yami's eyelashes flutter across his nose. A sweet scent engulfed his senses and Seto inhaled deeply, feeling his head spin. Holy shit.  
This boy was arousing.

Yami blinked anxiously, feeling oddly warm as his owner kissed his cheek. He blushed and tightened his grip around his owner's wrists. Wh-what was his owner doing? Yami swallowed thickly and tried to back away by turning his head. That was a mistake.

His owner's lips hovered dangerously above his, his sweet breath drowning him with each exhale, and then suddenly, his owner was kissing him deeply. A hot tongue slid sensually into his mouth and Yami floundered, feeling his body grow weak.

Seto felt Yami part his mouth lightly and he froze, a small voice in the back of his mind was screaming at him to stop. What the hell was he doing?! He was acting stupid!

Seto pulled back, holding Yami away at an arm's length, staring into his flushed face and half-lidded eyes. Shit.  
His stomach twisted with arousal and Seto cursed himself silently.

Yami swallowed lightly, his owner's lips had left him too soon and he felt his mouth swell with a strange itching throb. He boldly leaned in closer, his pounding heart leaping up into his throat, wondering if his owner wanted to continue.  
His owner was staring at him with a strange expression on his face and Yami wet his lips with the tip of his tongue, feeling them sting and itch again.  
If his owner wanted to do this kind of thing, he would be willing! It felt good!

Seto watched Yami's pink tongue flick in and out of his mouth quickly and he felt his next breath catch in his chest, his mind hazy. Was that an invitation to continue?

The lock clicked softly and Isono stepped into the room, bending forwards to pick up the empty bowls off the edge of the table, eyeing Master Kaiba and the foreign boy carefully. They were sitting very still.

Kaiba was gripping the boy by his shoulders and the boy looked oddly flushed; the textbook splayed open on a different page beside them.

Isono bowed out of the room, noting that it was oddly quiet and the atmosphere seemed tense.

Yami held his breath, blinking rapidly as he saw the manservant enter the room and leave just as quickly. They had almost been seen! Was this a normal occurrence? Did the manservant walk into the room when his owner was dirtying Mokuba's hole?

Yami frowned, feeling his fear and uncertainty return in a huge rush. Suddenly, his owner was kissing him again. A hot mouth was licking and nibbling along his lower lip and he cried out in surprise, gasping as his owner began kissing down his neck.

He even felt his owner lick his jawline and Yami tensed, a lightning bolt of heat shooting through his chest, causing his body to burn so much he felt himself sweat. Was…his owner making him feel good again?!

Yami reached out to grip the fabric of his owner's shirt, feeling his owner press harder into him, nibbling and sucking lightly across his collarbone. Yami felt his head spin violently and he shut his eyes, feeling as if he was falling. If…..his owner wanted to do this sort of thing, it was fine too! It felt good!

Seto felt Yami shiver and tense in his arms which spurred him to continue, nuzzling his nose into the delicate curves of the boy's ear, feeling him shudder and cry out. He smirked and bit down lightly across the boy's tanned skin, enjoying each new reaction. He kissed his way back up Yami's neck, feeling Yami's fingers curl tightly into his shirt.  
Did he like it? Yes, the boy seemed to be enjoying himself.

Yami threw his head back as he felt his owner's hot mouth sliding back up neck. His owner's tongue felt so good on his skin! Was it bad to enjoy such a feeling?! It made his breathing quick and it was setting his skin on fire!

Yami struggled to keep his eyes open as a strange, muggy feeling consumed his body as his owner licked and sucked along the curves of his ear. He could feel the edges of his owner's teeth bite down hard on his earlobe and he shivered happily, letting out a slight laugh. The feeling tickled!

Everything felt hot and he just wanted his owner's mouth to continue.

Seto slid his hand through the back of the boy's spiky hair, enjoying the strange texture, pressing his mouth insistently across Yami's lips, feeling him respond with enthusiasm, clumsily shoving his silky tongue into his mouth. Seto smirked, sucking on the tip of Yami's tongue lightly.

Cute. This kid didn't know how to kiss with tongue.

Yami's chest was tight and he couldn't draw his next breath as his owner captured his tongue in his mouth, sucking and biting on it lightly. Panicking, Yami parted his mouth wider, wondering how he could extract himself without losing his tongue in his owner's mouth.

Seto smiled into the kiss, releasing Yami's tongue gently and swirling the tip of his own tongue across the roof of Yami's mouth, enjoying the way he tasted.

Yami melted, sinking deeper into the kiss, bravely inching himself closer, breaking contact briefly to sit up on his knees. His owner was too tall! His neck was hurting from angling his head up to kiss him!

Seto felt Yami move and he took this chance to grab one of Yami's slender legs by the ankle, and pulling the boy closer, feeling Yami resist. Annoyed, Seto released him and frowned, watching the boy suddenly raise one hand to cover his mouth and move the other to rest awkwardly in his lap. What…the fuck?

Yami couldn't think or breathe. His center felt hot, and his lips hurt from all the kissing. His heart was pounding too loudly in his ears and he wasn't sure if he was supposed to be…enjoying this!

Seto stared at the boy, raking his eyes over his slender frame, enjoying the way his tanned cheeks were flushed a dark pink. He glanced down at the hand in Yami's lap and realized with a jolt that he was trying to cover his boner.

Seto bit back a laugh and he smiled gently, reaching out to move the boy's hand away from his lap. Why was this kid suddenly ashamed, when he was perfectly fine with it in the shower yesterday?

Yami stiffened his elbow, his anxiety rising as his owner wrapped a cold hand around his wrist, attempting to lift his hand away from his center. Yami swallowed tensely, his mind racing. If his owner wanted to see his front, his hole would be safe…right?

"Come on, don't be so fucking shy." Seto growled, firmly lifting the boy's hand away from his crotch. He bit the inside of his lip, watching Yami blush adorably. Jesus. So fucking cute.

Seto blinked, staring at the boy's erection, feeling his mind slowly go blank.  
He wanted to try something.

"Sit here." Seto said casually, patting the low table in front of them. He shut the textbook and slid it aside with a shaking hand, unable to believe what he was about to do.

Yami sat very still and blinked, trying to understand what his owner was telling him to do. His owner had shut the textbook and patted a spot on the table. Why?

"Sit, before I change my mind." Seto said, clenching his teeth, feeling his own erection throb painfully in his pants. He patted the spot on the table again and wrapped his hands around Yami's slender waist, pulling him up into a standing position.

Yami felt his head rush mightily as his owner pulled him to his feet and then sat him down on the edge of the low, brown table. Why…was his owner making him sit _on_ the table?!

"Off." Seto said quickly, hooking his finger through the top of Yami's waistband, watching the boy blink up at him, his eyes widening as he slowly began to understand.

 _Yes, you get it now, be grateful_. Seto thought privately, watching the boy shakily inch his pants off his waist while stubbornly leaving his underwear on. Seriously?!

"This too!" Seto said hastily, slipping a slender finger through the band of Yami's underwear, feeling another laugh bubble up in his chest. This kid was hilarious!

Yami swallowed tightly and nodded, his heart thundering in his chest as he lowered his underwear too, tensing with embarrassment as his erection slid into view.  
This was humiliating.  
His owner wanted to do that strange thing where he only watched and didn't touch.

Yami held his breath, watching his owner sit down in front of him on the floor, cross-legged, his blue eyes shining intensely. Yami blinked, confused. His owner wanted a front-seat view…of…wh-

Yami was jolted out of his thoughts when his owner dipped his head down between his legs and gave his erection a long, slow lick. Yami tensed, his legs trembling wonderfully as his owner spread his thighs wider apart to make room for his head. No…Impossible! His owner…was…licking him there!

Seto could feel Yami's legs trembling beneath his palms and he stared at Yami's dick, watching the tip shine with his own saliva.  
Fuck.  
Was this real? Or was this all just a bad dream?

 _Did I just lick a dick?_ Seto wondered faintly. Shivering slightly, he leaned his head in closer and stared intently at the slit at the tip of Yami's pink dick, watching a clear bead of pre-cum roll slowly out from it. He felt something enormous rise up inside him and Seto shoved all of his doubts aside, ducking his head down, taking Yami's dick into his mouth, fully. He sucked powerfully, enjoying the light scent of the boy's musk rising up around his head. He could feel Yami's legs twitching and Seto smirked, feeling powerful. Wow, fuck. Who knew that sucking off a guy would actually feel good?

Yami gasped, his chest heaving as he stared down at his owner's sharp cheekbones peeking up at him from between his own legs. A searing, fiery heat jolted up through his body as his owner sucked him hard, his tongue swirling quickly over his tip and pressing firmly into his slit.

Yami cried out, his head spinning violently as wave after wave of pleasure racked his body. He leaned forwards and buried his hands into his owner's soft brown hair, pressing his owner's head deeper into his center.  
Amazing.  
His owner's mouth…was amazing!  
It felt good! Hot!  
Yami felt like wetting himself, and his eyes watered heavily as his owner's tongue slid along the underside of his dick, his owner's hands pressing tightly into his inner thighs, keeping his legs firmly apart.

Seto let out a huff of air, swirling his tongue over the boy's shaft and repeatedly rubbing his tongue into Yami's slit, knowing it felt good. He had always enjoyed this feeling whenever a woman sucked him.

Seto lifted his head slightly, enjoying the way Yami had his head tilted back in ecstasy; his lips were slightly parted and he was panting heavily. Good.

Yami trembled as his owner's mouth left his dick. He jerked his head back down, almost biting his tongue as he tried to speak, "Pl-please….c-continue."

Seto blinked, the boy's strange language echoing in his mind. He didn't understand a single syllable. Was he going to cum? Or…?  
He felt Yami's hands tightening in his hair and Seto understood.

Continue.

He shoved his head back between Yami's legs so deeply, he felt the tip of Yami's dick hit the back of his throat. Fuck, that felt amazing.  
Seto tensed and bobbed his head along the boy's length, enjoying himself immensely.

Yami jerked and spasmed suddenly, his knees tightening around Seto's head as the burning heat consumed him. So tight! His owner's mouth was hot...and tight, and wet!  
A low pressure began building at the base of Yami's core and he let out another soft cry, rocking forwards as he came thickly inside his owner's mouth, feeling his owner tense and grip his thighs so tightly, the tips of his oval shaped fingers turned white.

Seto wasn't ready for it. A stream of hot semen shot up past the roof of his mouth, sliding down his throat, almost choking him. Shit. Fuck! A warning would've been nice! He swallowed forcefully, realizing the boy's essence tasted oddly sweet and he tried backing his head up, but Yami's hands tightened in his hair, holding him firmly in place as semen slowly dripped down his chin.

 _Fucking…let me up!_ Seto thought furiously, his eyes watering with effort as he dug his nails into the boy's leg. Finally, Yami's hands loosened in his hair and Seto jerked his head up to glare, the tip of the boy's dick grazing across his chin erotically. He shivered inadvertently, feeling his own erection strain in his pants as Yami gazed down at him with a dumbfounded expression, his face deeply flushed.

 _You're fucking welcome_ , Seto thought viciously, bringing the back of his hand across his chin to roughly wipe the semen off his chin. _My turn._

Yami blinked, his mind humming with pleasure. He stared at his owner, who was gazing back at him intensely. A few drops of semen were dripping down his owner's chin and Yami felt his chest tighten painfully, watching as he wiped the fluid away with a thumb and licked it. Handsome. His owner always looked handsome no matter what he did.

Seto grinned and stood fluidly, wrapping a large hand around the back of Yami's head, pressing his face flush up against his crotch, watching gleefully as Yami's eyes widened at the sight of his bulge. Yeah, this little gay fucker was going to enjoy this.

Yami blinked rapidly, trying to clear his mind of the buzzing, his arms and legs were warm and tingly. His owner had grabbed his head and shoved his face right up against his bulging groin. Yami held his breath and reached up to tentatively touch his owner's stiffness through his pants, flattening his palm against the thick outline, rubbing softly. This …was…his owner's arousal.  
Did his owner want him to use his mouth the same way?

Seto reached down with trembling fingers and unzipped his fly, leaving his button on, letting Yami move at his own pace. This would be a one-time thing only. Once he had experienced what it was like to be sucked off by a guy, Seto could safely say that he had done it all.

Yami bravely slipped his hand through the zipper of his owner's pants, wrapping his fingers around the hot length, his head spinning and his legs growing cold as his essence began drying across his thighs.

Why wasn't his owner lowering his pants down all the way? This was difficult to do!

Yami glanced up, tapping at the button on Seto's pants, and Seto quickly undid it, sliding his waistband low across his hips, feeling his dick throb and twitch with anticipation. Shit, he hadn't even been touched properly yet and he was this excited. Fuck. It had been a while since anyone had sucked him off.

Yami's eyes widened, staring at the stiff bulge, clothed only in underwear, right in front of him and he bravely reached a hand up to touch.

Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door, and the lock clicked softly.  
Mokuba's voice drifted from behind the door, "Seto….?"

Yami froze and glanced frantically up at his owner, who had a similar look of terror painted across his face. Mokuba was going to be so jealous if he saw this!

Seto paled, his blood running cold as he saw the door beginning to crack open slightly.

 _Shit! Fuck! Shit! Hide…! Yami!_ He grabbed Yami by the arm and dragged him over behind the bed, simultaneously pulling up his own pants with his other hand, watching the boy stumble forwards clumsily, trying to pick up his pants from around his ankles.

Seto sat down on the floor, hastily inching his pants up and buttoning them around his waist, hearing Mokuba's footsteps pad quietly in through the doorway, "Seto?!"

Seto glanced over at Yami, who was still fumbling with pant legs and he made frantic eye contact, pressing a finger to his lips in a gesture for quiet. Thankfully, Yami understood and nodded, looking extremely worried and frightened.

"Seto, where are you?" Mokuba's voice echoed from the bathroom and Seto looked down at himself, quickly adjusting his clothes around his body before standing smoothly. "I'm here." He strode over to the low table, hastily scanning the area for any residual stains of semen. The surface of the table as well as the carpet beneath it was clean, thank god.

Yami pulled his pants on with difficulty, the wet stains on this thighs and center caused the cloth to stick to his skin, and he grit his teeth, rolling under the bed and out of sight completely, holding his breath as he watched Mokuba's feet rush towards their owner.

"Are you guys done yet?" Mokuba asked, eyeing his brother suspiciously. Seto's hair looked slightly disheveled. Had he been wrestling with the foreign boy?

"I told you not to come in here." Seto snapped, his irritation rising. Fucking hell, they were almost seen! He grabbed Mokuba by the arm and dragged him towards the door, pushing him out and slamming it shut, "Lock the door!"

He waited until he heard the lock click, hearing Mokuba's footsteps stomping off down the hall.

Sighing heavily, Seto glanced around the room and then back down at himself.  
His boner had died. How irritating.

"Yami?" Seto called out, circling the bed, looking for the boy. He was gone.

Yami stuck his head out from under the bed, staring up at his handsome owner, who looked similarly relieved, and he let out the breath that he had been holding the entire time. Thank goodness Mokuba had not seen him touching their owner!

Seto blinked, staring at the spiky-haired boy who was blinking up at him from the floor. Thank fuck this kid was smart enough hide. He reached down to grab the boy's wrist, his fingers closing around a strange, rough fabric.

Yami hissed in pain as his owner's hand wrapped around the bandage where his numbers were inked into his skin. He jerked his hand back, his eyes watering as he stood shakily, his pants still halfway down across his thighs.

"Shit, I'm sorry." Seto said quickly, realizing he had grabbed the boy by his bandaged wrist. Fuck! He still had to teach Yami how to change the bandage and apply the disinfectant cream. What had the dermatologist said?

Yami gripped his arm gingerly, his wrist burning and itching terribly. He was pretty sure his owner had grabbed him there mistakenly, because his owner had nodded his head and lowered his gaze, looking apologetic.

He watched his owner turn and walk out of the room, heading through the door leading into the other room. Yami stared across the way, finally seeing the other room properly.

There was a large desk sitting against tall windows, and a couch sat in the middle of the room. A dark screen hung above another low table, and a large bed sat in the far corner.

That room was even larger than his room! Was that his owner's room? He watched his owner's tall frame duck down beside the desk and return with the jar of ointment from the doctor's office.

Yami blinked, stunned. His owner was coming back with medicine!  
His owner was being kind!  
Yami felt his mouth go dry as his owner approached him and patted the edge of the bed, his slender fingers unscrewing the jar. Yami watched with increasing interest as his owner gave the contents a sniff and wrinkled his nose.

Seto slipped his hand into his pocket and quickly tapped out a text to Isono, setting the jar down onto the nightstand, recalling the instructions the doctor had given him. They were very specific. He needed more bandages, rubbing alcohol, and plastic wrap.

He walked into the bathroom and quickly washed his hands, feeling Yami's eyes on his back as he dried his hands with a towel.

There was a soft knock at the door and the lock clicked. Yami stared, watching the manservant walk into the room, carrying a tray with cotton pieces, plastic, an un-labeled bottle of clear liquid, and more bandages.

 _I'm being tended to!_ Yami realized with a jolt, and he sat down carefully on the edge of the bed, trying to make eye contact with the manservant. He was ignored. The servant set the tray down on the nightstand beside the jar and walked out of the room, shutting the door again and locking it.

 _Oh._ Yami realized, feeling his disappointment rise. He had to do it himself. That was fine too.

He stared at the bottle of clear liquid and reached for it, uncapping it carefully and giving it a sniff. A sharp smell stung his nose and Yami's eyes watered heavily. Suddenly, his owner's voice sounded out from behind him, sounding irritated.

"Put that down!" Seto shouted angrily, striding out of the bathroom quickly and reaching over to lift the bottle of alcohol out of Yami's hands. "I'll fucking do it. You don't know what you're doing."

Yami swallowed thickly, fear tightening in his chest as his owner snapped at him and grabbed his bandaged wrist roughly.

Seto tipped alcohol onto the thin cotton pads and carefully wiped Yami's entire hand, making sure to pass across the area above the bandage as well.

Yami held his breath, watching his owner diligently wipe his hand clean, even going as far as to wipe above the bandage, on his forearm. He blinked, his heart pounding quickly in his chest. His owner…was being attentive!

Next, Seto peeled the bandage off, wrinkling his nose as the sour smell of the ointment assaulted his senses. He carefully patted the alcohol wipe over the blistering wound and grabbed the ointment. He slid a clean cotton pad into the cream and passed a glob over Yami's wrist, going over the affected area, several times in small circles, making sure the cream absorbed into the skin.

Yami blinked and blinked, feeling his eyes heat up dangerously as his owner's head ducked down in front of him, patting gently at his skin. There was a slight stinging pain as his owner pressed a fresh, cold bandage across his wound, firmly wrapping it around his wrist three times.  
Yami's vision began blurring mightily and he found it hard to take in a breath. A hot tear rolled down his cheek and gratitude swelled up inside him.  
His owner…was being kind!

Seto leaned back and eyed Yami's wrist proudly, thinking he'd done a good job. It looked neat and clean. He glanced up, startled to find that the boy was crying. Fuck! It probably hurt.  
Seto panicked and apologized quickly, forgetting that Yami couldn't understand him. He grabbed the plastic wrap and hastily wrapped it around Yami's arm, making sure all of the skin around the bandage was covered. He wasn't taking any chances. The doctor had said that the wound should not be submerged water while the boy bathed.

Yami was confused. Why did the plastic go all the way up to his elbows?! The wound was only on his wrist!

Seto nodded firmly and motioned for Yami to stand.

Yami did, feeling his knees grow weak as his owner led him into the bathroom and stood by the door, pointing at the shower head.

Yami blinked, feeling his fear begin to rise once more. Why did his owner want him to bathe, all of a sudden?

Seto sighed, watching the boy blink fearfully at him again. Was he going to need to bathe this kid again? Fuck no!

He walked out of the bathroom and shut the door angrily behind himself, staring at the stack of books on the low table and rubbing his temples. They had a long way to go.

Yami stood in the middle of the bathroom, his heart pounding loudly in his ears as he listened to his owner's footsteps fade away. He sighed and looked down at himself, eyeing the semen stains drying across his clothes.

 _He doesn't like me looking dirty!_ Yami realized, and he slowly stepped out of his clothes, feeling oddly dizzy.

 _What is wrong with me?_ Yami wondered as he switched on the water hose and stood underneath it, making sure to carefully keeping his bandaged arm away the water.

He realized with a jolt, that the plastic wrap was to keep his bandage dry!

Blinking in amazement, Yami felt another sudden rush of gratitude towards his owner as he stared at his bandage, letting the water fall heavily across his shoulders. He felt his eyes heat up again and he shivered slightly, leaning his head back to look up at the high ceiling.

 _My owner…is kind! And handsome! He may have strange preferences, but I'm very lucky!_ Yami thought as he felt tears beginning to gather in his eyes. _Perhaps, having my hole dirtied would be bearable! He makes me feel good...!_

Yami shut the water off with a heavy heart and he trudged towards the stack of towels, tiredly wrapping one around his body, staring at the door of the bathroom, his anxiety rising higher and higher. He was clean now, and his owner had a bulge in his pants, right before Mokuba interrupted them.  
Yami gripped his towel tightly.

He was sure his owner would want to continue, and he had been forced to bathe, so his hole could be dirtied.

 _I'll be fine with it!_ Yami thought furiously to himself, striding out into the room, surprised to see that his owner had vanished. A set of clean clothes lay neatly folded on the white couch and Yami rushed over towards them, hastily getting dressed. He glanced around the room frantically, staring at the door that led into the other room.

Was his owner waiting for him in there?

Deciding he didn't want to find out, Yami sat down onto the floor firmly, pulling his translation dictionary closer and flipping through it vigorously.

He would find a way to communicate with his owner through writing.  
He would do it, even if it killed him.

Seto was sitting at his desk, with his laptop on his left, and Japanese to Arabic translation dictionary on his right, quickly writing a series of sentences.

He needed to set some ground rules for that kid.

Maybe bathing every day wasn't something that boy was used to, but in this fucking house, bathing was mandatory, and Seto wanted to convey that clearly.

He dotted the last character on the sheet of paper with a flourish and stood fluidly, striding purposefully towards the connecting door.

He pulled the door open and watched Yami jerk his head up in shock, fear etched across his beautiful features as he struggled to his feet, his pen clattering across the low table as he snatched up the sheet of paper he had been writing on.

Seto blinked, watching Yami's shoulders tremble and heave with emotion. Jesus, this kid was jumpy. Maybe he should've knocked before entering.

Yami clutched the sheet of paper to his chest, willing his heart to slow down. If his owner could read what he wrote, his hole would be safe….! Right?!

Suddenly, Yami noticed his owner was also holding a sheet of paper, and he hiccupped slightly, relief flooding his senses as he realized his owner was also trying to speak with him! What did he want to say?

Daring himself to feel excited, Yami reached his hand out bravely, and his owner handed him the paper. He took it, his hands trembling as he raked his eyes over the page hungrily. His owner had written in his language!

Yami was amazed that his owner's handwriting was slender, thin, and beautiful.  
How remarkable!

His spirits fell as he thoroughly read over what his owner had written.  
It was a set of rules.

Yami swallowed thickly, feeling his eyes water heavily again. He had been…wrong about his owner! His kind actions were a misleading!  
This man was demanding!

Yami read the rules over again, realizing that it was more like a schedule, dictating his life in this house. His vision blurred terribly as his owner's thin handwriting burned into eyes.

 _1._ _Bathe daily._

 _2._ _Eat willingly, daily._

 _3._ _Self-study daily, until the teacher arrives._

 _4._ _Sit still in the lesson for two hours._

 _5._ _When the teacher leaves, continue to study until supper._

 _6._ _Rest early and rise early._

 _7._ _Laziness will be punished._

Seto watched Yami stare at the paper with a strange expression and he held his breath. Did his writing make sense? Because he didn't want to take another goddamn day off from work to bathe and force-feed this kid.

Yami lifted his head, his eyes watering heavily as he nodded, showing he understood.

 _Fine, I will live by your rules as long as you abide by my request._ Yami thought darkly, handing his sheet of paper to his owner, watching him nod and accept it with both hands.

How strange. Was that a sign of respect?

Seto stared at the neat, round little letters of Yami's handwriting, feeling his chest tighten and curl strangely.

It was written formally, in letter format, and it looked like he was reading a girl's handwriting! What the fuck was this? A love letter?!

He frowned as he read over the strangely worded letter, wondering why the boy had addressed it to an "Owner."  
What the…fuck?  
He was pretty sure Yami knew his name!  
Or was this a formal way of addressing a head of household, in his culture?

Deciding he would research it further in his own time, Seto read over the entire letter, twice.

_"Owner,_

_You are a kind and handsome man._  
_I am very grateful for your kind(ness) and attention._  
_Please do not hurt me._  
_I will do what you ask of me, please._  
_All I want is to remain clean._ "

The letter ended there.

Seto felt his eyelid twitch. He was amazed that Yami had managed to write in full sentences, but at the same time, the sentences were confusing as hell.

If this kid wanted to be clean, why the fuck wasn't he bathing?  
And what kind of 'hurt' was Yami talking about?  
Did he mean 'heartbreak', because they had touched each other intimately?  
Or did he mean physical pain...?

This just added to the pile of questions he had, regarding Yami's strange behavior. Foreigners were fucking weird.

Seto sighed tiredly and noticed the boy was eyeing him fearfully. He made sure to nod and he tried to hand the letter back to Yami, but Yami shook his head, pressing the sheet of rules against his chest.

 _I see,_ Seto realized, and he patted Yami's letter to his chest too. Keeping the paper made this a contract.

 _He accepts!_ Yami thought fearfully, unable to believe his luck. His owner had actually agreed, not to dirty his hole!  
Was this too good to be true?  
Was his owner lying?!

Seto walked back into his room, his excitement rising. They had managed to communicate, on a basic level. Now, he could call the tutor to come in tomorrow, and he could sleep well tonight.

Yami blinked frantically, standing alone in his room, sliding down to the floor as his knees gave out beneath him. He stared down at the sheet of rules his owner had written and a dry sob racked his body.

Gasping for breath, Yami carefully placed the sheet of paper back onto the table.  
This paper, was his saving grace. As long as he followed these rules, he would be spared!

Yami palmed his face in his hands, feeling another sob force its way up his body, and he hiccupped, hot tears of relief sliding down his face. He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. This was a good thing!

He had managed to buy himself time, time to learn the language, and time to plan an escape! There was a God after all!

* * *

**Author's note:**

Next chapter up on 11/18/17

So I was reading through **Animaniac1017's** edits and there were highlighted parts like: "this doesn't make sense", "this doesn't make sense", "when did this happen" and then I was like, (*confuseddddd!*) and then, STOP. WAIT.

….  
I REALIZED I HAD SENT  
chapter 8  
INSTEAD OF  
chapter 7. !  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!  
Imagine.  
what would've happened.  
if I had actually.  
Published

Chapter  
8.  
….

Chaos.

Thank GOD for **Animaniac1017,** SERIOUSLY.

Leave a review beeitchesss *xoxoxo* these long-ass chapters are hard af to write & edit. I need some love.

motivate me.

Hugs,  
Ugli


	8. I found myself, useless

Seto absently slipped Yami's letter into his desk drawer and stared at the dark velvet box containing the gold bracelets.

He flipped the box open and sighed, staring at the thin golden bands sitting in the satin cushion, turning it carefully in the light and watching the diamonds sparkle.

Irritated, Seto shut the box with a snap, wondering what had possessed him to purchase these for the boy. Yami wasn't a girl he was dating! He wasn't even a girl!

Seto palmed his face, feeling conflicted, thinking that the women in his past would've better understood and appreciated the gesture a bit more than this kid - who was clearly just taking advantage of his wealth. And for that reason, he wasn't comfortable with just giving Yami the bracelets.  
He wanted something in return, but he didn't know what he wanted.

Sliding one of the bracelets out of the cushion, Seto inspected it closely, looking for a clasp.  
There was none. It was a solid band of gold.  
He ran his fingers over the logo imprinted across the band and decided to insert a GPS chip in it before giving it to Yami.

Seto stood tiredly to head downstairs into his lab.  
He could shave off a bit of the bracelet and find a way to stick the chip into it without Yami noticing, hopefully.

* * *

Yami was bent over a fresh sheet of paper, his brow furrowed in concentration as he focused on translating a letter he had written, for Mokuba.

He needed Mokuba to be his friend. He needed Mokuba to know that he wasn't a threat. Besides, it was clear that their owner liked him more anyway! Mokuba had nothing to be worried about!

Yami leaned back and read over the letter, wondering if it made any sense. He was just piecing together fragments of words and phrases from the dictionary, not really understanding sentence structure.

Yami suppressed a yawn, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion, realizing that it was pitch black outside his windows. He tapped the sheet in front of him with his pen, feeling his head grow heavy. Did his owner say there was going to be a teacher arriving tomorrow?!

Yami grabbed the sheet of rules and read the lines over hastily:

 _"_ _Self-study daily, until the teacher arrives. Sit still in the lesson for two hours."_

It suddenly hit him.  
He was getting a private teacher!

Yami blinked and blinked, unable to believe his luck. Why was his owner allowing him to be educated?!  
Was his owner doing this purely because he wanted companionship?

Deciding it was better not to question it, Yami stood up and walked towards the door, aiming to slide his letter underneath Mokuba's door. He tugged at the handle and realized it was locked.

Yami froze. He had forgotten that he wasn't allowed out of his room.

That, and he didn't even know what the rest of the house looked like, let alone where Mokuba's room was located!  
Furious, Yami set the letter down on the table and strode over to the connecting door leading into his owner's room.

He would ask his owner to let him talk with Mokuba.

Yami tried the handle of the door, and thankfully, it was unlocked.

He pushed the door open and stuck his head into the room, his heart pounding frantically in his chest. It was empty.

Cursing himself for being frightened over nothing, Yami stepped into the dimly lit room, feeling oddly lightheaded.

This was…his owner's room! Was he allowed in here?!  
He must be.  
The door was unlocked.

Yami glanced towards the tall windows on the other side of the room and he rushed towards them, eagerly pressing his nose against the glass and peering out into the darkness. This view was different! He could see lights from the city in the distance!

He glanced around the room, noticing dark panels hugging the walls across from the bed. Intrigued, Yami made his way over to them and placed his palm across the cool surface, wondering what was behind it. He pushed, and the doors resisted. Confused, Yami tried pushing the panels from left to right and suddenly, there was a low hiss.

Frightened, Yami quickly stepped back, watching as the doors slowly slide open to reveal an impressive array of clothes, all neatly pressed and hung on dark hangers. Incredible! His owner dressed so well!

He had only ever seen his owner wearing dark shirts and matching dark pants.  
He had never seen him wear these clothes before! Yami ran his hands across once of the jackets, realizing with a jolt that it was silk.

Amazed, Yami pressed his face into the fabric, enjoying the feel of its softness against his skin. The light scent of perfume drifted up around him slowly and Yami jerked his head back, repulsed.

He slid the dark panels shut with a shaking arm, his nose stinging uncomfortably at the alien scent. His owner probably, _definitely,_ kept a woman around.

Yami wandered into the bathroom and flicked the light on, noticing that it also had high ceilings and a large bathtub. He shut the lights off and circled the large couch sitting in the center of the room, staring at the wide screen hanging on the wall. A TV!

The nameless boy's voice shot through his mind quickly:  
_  
"Your owner will keep you stupid! My owner never let me near books, magazines, or even the TV!"_

 _Well, my owner is the one who is stupid._ Yami thought furiously to himself. _He's doing the exact opposite, thinking he has a friend in me!_

Yami ran his hands across the low table in front of the screen, searching for the remote. It wasn't there.  
His gaze drifted over towards the large desk by the window and Yami ran towards it, tugging at the drawers, realizing it was locked. Every drawer was locked!

 _How?!_ Yami wondered desperately, hunting for a keyhole but finding none.

He rushed back over to the nightstand, swallowing nervously as he stared at the drawer, briefly hesitating. He remembered what he had found in the other drawer –- the one in his room - and shivered. Would this nightstand hold similar items as well?

Deciding that his quest for the remote trumped the humiliation with the buzzing beads, Yami bravely pulled the drawer open, relieved to find it empty. He circled the large bed and tried the other drawer.

Something silver glinted up at him from the far back and Yami hastily tugged the drawer open further, hearing metal scrape loudly against the sides. Holding his breath, he reached his hand in and cautiously pulled out a picture frame.

Yami stared at the photo, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. It was of his owner and Mokuba, both of them smiling happily into the camera and looking carefree. His owner looked less gaunt, his face was rounder and fuller, and Mokuba looked visibly younger; probably about the age of 8, Yami guessed.

Shivering, he slid the photo back into the drawer, wondering how young his owner was when he had purchased Mokuba. Did his owner dirty Mokuba's hole at such an age?!

 _He wants another companion!_ Yami realized, leaning on the edge of the bed for support as he grappled with his thoughts. _Someone older than Mokuba. Someone with a fresh hole, to do more dirty things with!_

 _Are we close in age?_ Yami wondered, glancing around the large room, his mind racing. His owner was probably very lonely; his immense wealth must have alienated him from the rest of the world.

Sitting down gingerly on the edge of the bed, Yami felt around the pillows, still searching for the remote. Nothing.  
He climbed onto the bed, feeling his knees sinking into the plush surface as he slid his hands beneath another large pillow, finding nothing.

His owner's light scent drifted up from the sheets beneath him and Yami jerked back again, his heart pounding mightily in his chest as his face began heating up against his will.  
His owner's scent was almost like a perfume.  
Was it a perfume? Or did his owner smell like this all the time?

Deeply curious, Yami grabbed the pillow and pressed his face into it, inhaling tentatively. It was a sweet, musky scent, mixed with something that almost smelled like chocolate, he couldn't put his finger on it.

Suddenly, the door clicked open behind him and Yami froze with fear, breaking out into a cold sweat as he heard footsteps enter the room.  
Was it his owner or the servant?  
He gripped the pillow tighter to his chest, praying to god that it was the servant.

Seto almost spilled his coffee when he saw the spiky-haired boy sitting on his side of the bed, hunched over one of is pillows. _What the…fuck?! That little fucking perv..!_

Seto glanced over at the connecting door, noticing that it was wide open.

Well, shit, he had forgotten to lock that door, and now, this weird sex freak was sitting…on his side…of the bed, touching his pillows! Looks like he wasn't sleeping tonight.

Sighing heavily, Seto walked to his desk and set his coffee down carefully, along with the dark velvet box containing the bracelets. He sat down gracefully in his chair and flipped his laptop open.

He needed to make sure the GPS could be accessed on all of his devices before he handed the bracelets over. He wasn't taking any chances. If the boy somehow managed to run off his property, straight into the paparazzi before he could properly speak or read Japanese, he could easily be blamed.

Yami tensed and tried to calm down when he realized it was his owner.  
He watched his owner sit down, ignoring him pointedly, and Yami caught a whiff of the sweet smell again. It was very strong…and it was coming from his owner's drink!

Yami let the pillow drop out of his hands as he stared at the cup of liquid sitting on his owner's desk.  
_I like the smell of that drink,_ Yami thought adamantly to himself, _it's not my owner's scent that I like._

Seto could feel Yami's gaze burning through him as his hands flitted across the keyboard.  
_He wants the fucking bracelets,_ Seto thought, gritting his teeth in annoyance. _Could he be a little less obvious about it? Greedy…perverted little..._

Yami gasped as he suddenly noticed the dark velvet box sitting right beside his owner's arm. Was that there before? He could've sworn the desk was empty when he came into the room! His owner must've brought it in!  
Did he have to earn them…? Now?

Yami swallowed nervously and carefully slid off the bed, watching his owner continuously type on the keyboard.

 _Maybe I could sell one of the bracelets for a computer, later_. Yami thought privately, inching towards the desk, his arms and legs trembling slightly as he wondered what he could do to make his owner feel good.

Seto barely glanced up from his screen as the boy moved closer towards him, his angular violet eyes staring daggers through him. Could he fucking wait? Jesus…..

Suddenly, the boy rushed at him - barely giving him time to react. Seto felt small, hot hands press into the sides of his face as a pair of warm lips came down heavily across his mouth and a silky tongue boldly licked the fronts of his teeth as he kept his jaw tightly clenched.

Seto felt his mind hum pleasantly and shut off as Yami's lips moved sensually across his. Wow, what the hell? Honestly, this boy was horny as fuck.

 _Stop throwing yourself at me for two seconds!_ Seto thought angrily, attempting to shove the boy away, feeling Yami push up against him harder. The boy forced a knee between his legs, attempting to climb up onto his lap.

 _Holy fuck!_ Seto gasped, his mouth parting slightly. He immediately realized that that was a mistake as Yami's hot tongue shoved insistently through the tops of his teeth and slid back out again, slowly, sending a shiver rippling through his body. _Fuckkkk! Stop!_

"Get…off!" Seto hissed, jerking his head back and grabbing the boy by the shoulders, holding him away at an arm's length, feeling his lips sting and swell slightly.  
What was this boy's problem?  
Was he a…sex addict or something?

Seto raked his gaze across Yami's flushed complexion, noticing that his beautiful eyes were wide with desperation. Yep. This boy had issues. Maybe he needed to call a psychologist.

Yami licked his lips dryly, his head buzzing as his owner's taste lingered across his lips. His owner tasted sweet, like the drink, but also tasted like something else…! Yami bit his tongue, feeling himself heat up all over as his owner swept him off his feet and carried him over to the bed.

"Stay." Seto said angrily, pressing a hand into Yami's chest and pushing him down further onto the mattress, feeling like he was taming a misbehaving dog. He strode back over to his desk and sat down, feeling his pants growing steadily tighter and more uncomfortable. Shit. Why was his body reacting to this?!  
_  
I'm not gay_ , Seto thought staunchly, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on his screen as he felt the boy shift and sit up quickly to stare at him from the bed.

Yami found it was difficult to breathe. His breaths were coming out in light pants and he felt hot everywhere. He was feeling good! Was his owner not feeling the same way?

"Seto…" Yami said desperately, propping himself up on his elbows, racking his brain for a Japanese word he had memorized earlier, "Kiss…!"

Seto felt his heart stop in his chest when he heard this and he jerked his head up to glare, watching Yami stare defiantly back at him, shamelessly splayed out across the bed with his bulge clearly visible in the semi-darkness.  
Seto shook his head tightly and grit his teeth.

Yami blinked in disbelief, watching his owner shake his head, still typing furiously across the keys, tapping them so hard, Yami could hear the tips of his owner's nails clicking across the tops.

 _Why?! Why?_ Yami thought frantically, his eyes darting around the room for help; a sign, a clue, anything as to why his owner was refusing his advances. Had he done the kiss badly?

 _Maybe I need to be naked_ , Yami thought dismally, tugging sadly at his shirt and raising his head up to gaze longingly at the small velvet box sitting on the desk. _This is the last humiliating thing I will do…for those bracelets will secure my future!_

Seto saw Yami lifting his shirt, seeming as if he was about to take it off. Horrifed, Seto leapt to his feet and rushed over to the bed, wrapping a hand angrily around the boy's slender wrist, restraining him from lifting his arms above his head.

God...damn! Could this kid stop acting weird for one fucking second?

"You got your damn kiss, now go back to your room." Seto said, pointing at the adjoining door which was wide open, making a huge effort to keep his voice level. If he yelled, he would wake the whole house.

Yami blinked and nodded enthusiastically upon hearing his owner say the word "kiss". Yes. It was working!

Seto swallowed tightly, watching Yami smile hopefully up at him. No?  
It seemed like Yami didn't understand.

Yami dragged his gaze down along his owner's toned body, noticing the tight bulge sitting in his pants, and his heart leapt for joy. His kissing had worked! Why was his owner pointing into the other room? Did he want to use the beads again?

Seto pointed at the door again, not wanting to touch the boy. He didn't want to encourage the foreigner with more physical contact, "Go back…to-"

Suddenly, Yami got up on his knees and threw his arms around Seto's waist, hugging him tightly and repeating himself, "…Kiss!"

Seto felt his resolve slipping as the boy's arms tightened around him further. Fine! Fucking fine! A kiss, and then he would toss the boy back into his room!

"One kiss." Seto growled, shoving his hand down into the boy's spiky hair, forcefully yanking Yami's head up to meet his lips.

Yami felt a strong hand come down into his hair and his eyes watered dangerously, fear shooting through his chest again. His owner was being forceful, pulling him higher until their lips met roughly. His owner's tongue shoved thickly into his mouth and he obediently parted his lips wider, shutting his eyes and holding his breath as his owner kissed him deeply.

It didn't feel good.  
His owner was biting and sucking his lips so hard that it was painful.

Frustrated, Yami slid his hands up higher, tangling them into his owner's soft brown hair and giving him a hard tug. _Kiss properly, you selfish man!_

Seto felt Yami's hands almost rip his hair out from the roots and he hissed angrily. He fell forwards heavily onto Yami, pinning him down onto the bed, their foreheads pressed together tightly as Yami flashed him a dark glare.

 _Oh you little fucking…!_ Seto thought spitefully, pressing his knee tightly into the boy's groin - earning a frantic gasp. _Yeah, I hope that hurt._

Seto forgot himself for a moment and leaned forwards to bite down across the boy's neck, feeling Yami's hands loosen in his hair.

Yami shivered, enjoying the way his owner's hot mouth felt against his adam's apple, his stomach twisting and clenching as his owner's knee was shoved up tightly up against his core.

Seto dragged his lips up along the Yami's neck and kissed him deeply again, feeling Yami lean back fully into the mattress, his hands leaving his hair suddenly and his arms tightened sensually around his neck.

Yami felt like he was falling backwards, sinking down into the soft mattress wonderfully with his owner's weight falling on top of him as their tongues continued to clash and mold together smoothly.  
He sighed, feeling his owner shift comfortably above him; the kisses becoming lighter and softer and Yami felt as though his chest was about to explode.

Seto felt himself slipping, unable to keep his eyes open any more, he shut them, inhaling Yami's scent deeply and enjoying the warmth from his lips. He slid a hand down the boy's side, feeling him writhe happily against his touch.

Yami sucked lightly on his owner's bottom lip, pulling back for air then leaning his head upwards to meet his owner's lips again, his heart pounding, his cheeks burning. This felt nice!

His owner cupped his face and kissed him deeply again, his sweet breath washing over him as he exhaled, and Yami felt like bursting. How long were they going to be kissing?

Seto felt Yami squirming harder and he pressed his hands along the boy's hips, feeling his heated body arch upwards into his touch. He was going to kiss this boy until he couldn't anymore. That would teach the kid a lesson.

Yami tried to jerk his head away from his owner's lips - which were coming down heavier across his - feeling his owner's breathing quicken. Yami panicked, prying his eyes open and slipping his hands up into his owner's hair, tugging insistently.

Seto felt Yami push back against him with his tongue and he bit down across the tip, sucking it into his mouth and keeping it there, thoroughly enjoying Yami's frantic reaction.

Yami gasped and tried to cry out, but his owner stifled his cry by keeping his heated lips firmly latched onto his tongue, sucking and rolling it powerfully between his teeth. He felt his stomach twist and clench so strangely and his dick throbbed painfully.

Finally, his owner released his tongue and Yami jerked back, his head spinning violently as his vision began to turn green.

Yami struggled to speak, his tongue swelling pleasurably in his mouth as his owner roughly kissed him again, and again, and again, sometimes pecking him gently across the lips, other times deep, passionate kisses with tongue and teeth.

Seto felt the boy go limp in his arms and he smirked playfully, feeling Yami's saliva drip down his chin. Cute, messy, sloppy kissing, alternating between tongue, lips and teeth. That's what Yami liked.

Yami felt his lips and chin chafing from his own saliva as his owner continued to teasingly kiss him and Yami hiccupped nervously. His heart was pounding too fast in his chest, casuing his vision to fade in and out as his owner continued to thrust his tongue into his mouth.

Seto tensed as he felt Yami twitch and go limp again underneath him, and his erection strained uncomfortably in his pants. He rolled his hips forwards, feeling the boy's hip bones pressing back into his stiffness and he shivered. It felt good. He shoved his hips forwards again, roughly grinding his erection against Yami's bulge, and he heard the boy cry out and stiffen excitedly.

Yami froze and felt his body grow incredibly hot as his owner pressed his errection against him through their pants. He gasped, feeling the wind leave his lungs and his dick leaked wetly into his pants through his underwear as his owner rubbed against him roughly again.

Yami threw his head back and shut his eyes, losing himself in the feeling, dimly wondering if his owner would lick him down there again, because it felt heavenly.

Panting heavily, Yami raised his head, his body feeling extremely heavy as his owner grabbed his legs suddenly and spread them apart so widely that he could feel the seams on his pants stretching in the middle.

Seto gazed down at the foreign boy, drinking in the sight of his aroused expression. Yami's cheeks flushed a dark pink, and he enjoyed the way his tanned skin looked dark against the white sheets, his chest heaving, his lips shining in the semi-darkness, wet with their saliva. He gripped Yami's slender thighs tightly, squeezing the supple flesh eagerly as his erection throbbed

Something possessed him to reach down and undo the fly of his own pants, his fingers stiff and shaking from excitement. God, this was sinful.

Seto leaned down to kiss Yami again, thrusting tightly into the boy's clothed crotch, feeling his own dick rub pleasurably against him through his underwear. He could cum like this.

 _This isn't any different from doing it to a girl_ , Seto thought blurrily through a haze of lust, rocking his hips back and forth powerfully, feeling Yami's lips leave his own as he cried out lewdly beneath him, arching his back.

Although, unlike a girl, Yami's arousal was something he could understand innately.  
This made it extremely easy to know what would feel good.

Yami gripped the sheets beneath him tightly, shuddering and gasping for air as his owner's dick rubbed against his erratically through their clothes, the fabric sliding up along his tip wonderfully again and again as his owner hovered above him; his handsome face was barely visible darkness.

 _More,_ Yami thought weakly, pressing a palm to his forehead, his brow damp with sweat. This felt good too…! Everything his owner did, whenever they touched, felt good! He felt another cry leave his throat as his owner pressed his legs down into the mattress tightly and shoved his bulge roughly across his clothed dick, moving powerfully, thrusting quickly and pulling him closer in a frenzied rush.

Everything was hot, and Yami felt his clothes grow uncomfortably tight around his body. Suddenly, his owner reached down with one hand and grabbed his stiffness through his pants, his fingers rubbing and squeezing across his tip tightly, so much that Yami felt himself heat up even more, his body tensing as a wave of pleasure engulfed his body and his pants grew extremely wet, his essence rushing out of his dick so quickly that it caused another wave of tight pleasure deep inside his stomach.

Seto blinked tightly, biting his tongue as he felt his body heat up so much, his eyes burned. He stared down at Yami beneath him, his head thrown back in ecstasy, a dark stain spreading across his groin while his legs twitched and trembled beneath his palms.

 _How….fun and interesting_ , Seto thought devilishly, gripping Yami's thighs tightly as he gave him a few more clothed, rough thrusts before shoving his hand down inside his own pants to grab his heated member. He gave himself a few rough jerks upwards, shuddering and spasming tightly as he came thickly in his pants, Yami's erotic expression burned into his vision beneath him.

Yami blinked heavily, his heart pounding furiously in his chest as he stared up at the ceiling, his ears ringing, feeling his head growing heavy. Too...much. Too intense. His dick felt like it had been rubbed raw through the fabric.

Yami let out a deep sigh and threw his arm over his eyes, willing himself to calm down, the wetness in his pants growing cold and uncomfortable. Everything was muggy…and he felt like he was falling backwards into the mattress again, deeper, and deeper, with nothing behind him to catch him.

Seto bit back a satisfied sigh and he leaned back on his heels, feeling himself tremble slightly.

 _That felt too fucking good,_ he thought anxiously, staring at the boy in the darkness. He had an arm draped limply over his face, seemingly embarrassed.

 _Good! Be embarrassed!_ Seto thought viciously, reaching forwards to pull the boy's arm away from his face, surprised when he didn't react.

"Yami." Seto said roughly, giving the boy's thighs a nudge. The boy didn't move.  
_What the fuck?_

"Yami." Seto repeated, leaning forwards to hover over the foreigner, shocked when he realized Yami was unconscious.

Fuck.

He cursed under his breath and shook the boy gently, tugging on a strand of his spiky blonde bangs, "Yami!"  
No response.  
The boy's chest was rising and falling gently, his body was relaxed, his face, blissful.

 _Jesus Christ_ , Seto thought angrily, getting off the bed and moving towards the bathroom to clean himself up. He flipped on the lights in the room, the brightness stinging his eyes as he grabbed a small hand towel, wetting the fabric beneath a hot rush of water.

Seto stepped out of his pants and walked towards his closet, noticing that there was as set of handprints along the sides. _What the…?_

Yami had probably snooped through his closet while he was downstairs.

 _This guy needs to learn what boundaries are_ , Seto thought furiously, gritting his teeth as he slipped on a new pair of trousers and moved towards the bed, the hot towel growing colder in his grasp as the steam began to evaporate.

He quickly inched Yami's pants and underwear off his body, wincing at the mess underneath. He palmed the wet towel and ran it over Yami's sticky crotch, pointedly ignoring the strange head rush he got when he grazed his towel over Yami's dick - which was still semi-hard.

Seto got off the bed and made his way back into the bathroom, gently rinsing the cloth beneath the water and quickly walking back to the bed, making sure to give Yami's thighs a thorough wipe as well.

 _There, clean_. Seto thought dully, tossing the soiled towel back across the marble bathroom counter. Isono would have a hell of a time cleaning this shit up in the morning.

Deciding not to think about it, Seto carefully undressed Yami and tossed his clothes aside into the pile for Isono to pick up. He hastily yanked the comforter up over the boy's naked body and tucked the corners in tightly around his chin, his stomach twisting oddly as he stared down at the peaceful face laying before him.

 _So defenseless_ , Seto thought guiltily, heading over to his desk and sitting down behind it, giving his laptop a few solid taps across the space bar, watching the map of Domino City flash across his screen.

Two tiny red dots pulsed steadily together, right on the spot where his mansion was. Good. The GPS worked.

Seto slipped the gold bracelets out from the satin cushion, feeling the coldness from the metal seep into his fingers as he stood up from his desk and walked over to the bed.

"Yami?" Seto whispered quietly, easing his weight onto the bed. Yami didn't move.

 _Fine_ , Seto thought stiffly as he slipped a hand under the comforter, closing his fingers around Yami's thin wrist - the un-bandaged one, thankfully.

He lifted the boy's slender arm out from beneath the sheets and quickly slid both bracelets onto Yami's wrist, hearing them clink softly, watching the gold glint back at him in the darkness. Seto set Yami's arm gently back down onto the sheets and walked resolutely back to his desk.

He sat down in his chair and glanced at the time.

3:04 AM.

Sighing, Seto picked up his phone and began scrolling through his contacts, looking for one of Mokuba's tutors who specialized in elementary Japanese.

* * *

 

Yami felt incredibly warm and comfortable. He smiled and stretched, pressing his face deeper into the softness, enjoying the warm comforting scent of something sweet floating around him.

Suddenly, something cold slid down his arm and made a strange clinking sound.

Yami's eyes shot open and he sat up quickly, his heart thundering in his chest as he glanced down at his arm, seeing two gold bands gleaming back at him in the soft morning light.

He felt his chest constrict painfully and he found that he couldn't draw his next breath. He had…earned the bracelets! Both of them! A giant lump of happiness rose up inside of him and Yami swallowed it tightly, feeling his eyes water as tears threatened to spill down his cheeks.  
What had happened last night, after his owner had kissed him lots while touching his front?

Yami lifted the covers to stare down at himself, realizing he was fully naked, and he tensed fearfully, his body heating up uncomfortably.  
When had he taken off his clothes? Had his owner dirtied his hole while he was sleeping?!

 _I can't remember!_ Yami blanched, clutching the white sheets tightly to his thundering chest, his owner's scent drifting up around him softly. Holding his breath out of disdain, Yami scanned the room frantically, feeling himself break out into a cold sweat.

His gaze landed on his owner, who was sitting upright in his chair at his desk, his head hung low, apparently fast asleep.

Yami scrambled out of the bed, jutting up on his tiptoes. The floor was freezing!

He shivered, staring at the adjacent door leading into his room, wondering where the rest of his clothes were. He spotted the outfit he had been wearing last night, strewn across the floor of the bathroom, his owner's dark trousers were also in the pile and Yami choked on his next breath.

 _Did he touch my hole?!_ Yami thought, horrified, realizing, there was no way he could know for sure.  
Had he been drugged?!

Yami felt his throat closing as he desperately tried to remember what had happened after he had wet his pants with his fluids.

Nothing.  
Nothing came to mind.

 _It's fine if he did_ , Yami thought miserably, staring first at his bandaged wrist and then at the two glittering bands on his other arm _. I'm not bleeding, or in pain…and I have the bangles. I will be fine._

Suddenly, Yami heard footsteps approaching the door and he bolted back into his owner's bed for cover, realizing instantly that that was a mistake. What if it was Mokuba who was coming in?! What would this look like?  
He was naked in their owner's bed!

Holding his breath and shutting his eyes tightly, Yami forced his breathing to become even while his heart pounded loudly in his chest.

He heard a light cough, along with shuffling around in the bathroom behind him and Yami felt immensely relieved. It was the servant or a maid. Thank heavens.

Isono walked into the room, noticing that Mokuba was once again sleeping in Master Kaiba's bed while Kaiba was asleep at his desk.

He moved towards the bathroom, frowning as he saw the foreign boy's clothes on the floor, in a pile, right beside Master Kaiba's trousers. Isono swallowed stiffly, pushing the fabric aside with the tip of his shoe and catching a glimpse of Kaiba's soiled underwear.  
Oh.

Shuffling out of the bathroom in a frantic haste, Isono exited the room, aiming to call the maid, throwing a furtive glance over his shoulder at the bed and catching a glimpse of the tips of spiky red hair. He realized with a jolt that it wasn't Mokuba in the bed.  
It was…the foreign boy.

Sweating, Isono closed the door behind him and rushed downstairs, passing by Mokuba's room just in time to see Mokuba crack the door open, yawning sleepily.

"Young Mokuba, I will bring you breakfast in your room today, as a treat." he said hastily, his mind racing as he wondered how he could keep the younger Kaiba out of the master bedroom.

Mokuba paused mid-yawn, looking surprised, "Oh-Okay…. what's the occasion?"

"No occasion. Please go back inside and wait." Isono spoke quietly with a nod, watching as Mokuba shut the door with a soft click.

 _Too dangerous,_ Isono thought frantically, trying to calm himself down, patting his forehead with his handkerchief.

Yami dared himself to open his eyes and he sat up quickly, looking around the room, noticing that nothing had changed. His clothes were still a mess on the floor.

 _Then why did the servant come in?_ Yami wondered, hearing footsteps pad closer to the door again.

Curses! Yami clenched his fists and threw himself back down onto the bed, pulling the sheets over his head, once again feigning sleep as he heard another person shuffle into the room, this time taking longer to leave.

He felt a something soft thump down across the base of the bed and he kept his eyes tightly shut, listening intently as the footsteps left the room and the door closed with a soft click.

 _Finally!_ Yami came up for air, pushing the covers off of himself as he noticed a pile of his clothes folded neatly at the foot of the bed. _Oh!_

Relieved, Yami grabbed them and got dressed quickly, feeling the golden bracelets slide reassuringly across his skin. He noticed that the bathroom was now clean, and a fresh, steaming drink was sitting on his owner's desk.

His owner was still fast asleep, his arms crossed, his head hanging down so low that his brown hair obscured his eyes.

 _Handsome…_ Yami thought faintly, moving towards the desk, his heart beating quicker in his chest as he got closer.

He stared at the dark colored drink sitting on the desk, wondering what it tasted like. His owner was always drinking this sweet-smelling drink, so it must be good!

He reached out and curiously picked up the cup, inhaling the fragrance deeply before taking a tiny sip. The second the liquid touched his tongue, Yami recoiled, almost gagging as the bitterness stung his nose and pooled flatly across his tongue. Disgusting! This drink tasted like filth!

Seto felt a movement in front of him and sighed lightly. The scent of coffee filled his nose and he figured it was Isono, doing his morning rounds through the mansion.

He heard a solid, clumsy thunk as the cup hit the table and his eyes shot open, jerking his head up to see a tanned arm with a bandaged wrist, gripping his coffee.

Seto froze, his chest tightening with anger and irritation.  
Seriously?!  
First his bed, now his coffee?!

Yami gasped, almost spilling the liquid as he set it down, feeling frantic as his owner glared at him, his clear blue eyes cold and imposing.  
His owner always woke up so suddenly! It was terrifying!

"Thank you for the bracelets!" Yami said desperately, hiding his hands behind his back, forgetting that his owner couldn't understand him.

Seto blinked, the foreign sounds buzzing in his ears as he stared at Yami, who was staring back at him fearfully. Did the boy know that his coffee was off limits?! Jesus fucking Christ. He needed to add more rules to the list he had written yesterday.

Yami noticed his owner still looked angry, and he scrambled to correct his mistake. He had learned how to say 'thank you' in his owner's language!  
He needed to remember how to say it right now!

"Th-thank you." Yami said frantically, running forwards and throwing his arms around his owner's neck, feeling him stiffen and sit up straighter in his chair.

Seto felt his head spin violently as the boy rushed at him and hugged him tightly around the neck, almost choking the air out of him.  
What the fuck!  
It was too early in the goddamn morning for this bullshit.

 _Get the fuck off of me!_ Seto thought furiously, tensing in anger. _The proper term should be "I'm sorry" for fucking touching my coffee!_

 _He understands?!_ Yami thought hopelessly, feeling his owner grab him roughly by the shoulders to shove him away.

The boy resisted, tightening his grip, repeating himself, "Thank you..! Thank you!"

Seto bit back a sigh and felt a headache coming on. What was this kid saying thank you for?!

"It's: ' _I'm sorry!'"_ Seto said roughly, finally managing to push Yami off of him slightly and looking him full in the face, watching him blink his large angular eyes and nod slowly.

Yami patted the gold bangles on his wrist and nodded again, feeling as if he was about to cry. Why was his owner angry even though he had said 'thank you' so many times?! He was pretty sure he had said it correctly!

Seto heard a soft clink and looked down, staring at the two golden bands sitting on Yami's wrist and suddenly remembering…Oh. That's what Yami was saying 'Thank you' for. The fucking…jewelry.

"You're…fucking welcome. Get off." Seto said roughly, moving to stand, watching Yami back away and smile shakily at him. Yeah yeah, whatever.  
God he had a fucking headache.

Seto walked towards the bathroom and shut himself inside, leaning heavily against the door, grateful to see that the semen-stained clothes from last night had been removed. Shoving the events from out of his mind, walked towards the shower and stepped inside.

Yami watched his owner disappear into the bathroom and he heard water running. His bandage itched and he wondered if he had to change it daily. Would his owner help him again, or could he do it himself?

Rushing back into his room, Yami eyed the tray of plastic wrap and bandages sitting on the nightstand, feeling oddly reluctant.

 _Maybe, I can ask him to bandage my arm again_. Yami thought uncertainly, quickly grabbing the plastic wrap and looping it around his arm tightly, thrice, the way he had seen his owner do yesterday. In the meantime, he would wash up too, because his fluids from last night were still dried across his thighs.

Yami hurried into the bathroom, quickly entering the shower and sighing contentedly as the hot water rushed over him comfortingly.

Seto stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, feeling refreshed. He could take his time getting into the office today, because thankfully, he had a light amount of work.

Walking towards his closet, Seto could hear the sound of running water coming from the adjacent room.

 _Good, he's showering willingly_ , Seto thought darkly, sliding the closet doors open. He suddenly remembered that Yami's wound shouldn't be submerged in water for extended periods of time…and he had forgotten to communicate that to Yami.

Fuck!

Seto cursed and rushed into the other room, feeling his towel slip slightly from around his waist as he barged into Yami's bathroom without knocking.

Yami heard the door click loudly and swing open. His owner striding furiously towards him, his face twisted in anger. Terrified, Yami dropped the shower head, backing away into the far corner of the shower room until he felt the cold tiles slap against his shoulder blades painfully.  
Why was his owner in here?!  
What did his owner want?  
Why was he naked too?!  
They had made an agreement about leaving his hole alone!  
His owner had lied!

Seto realized he had startled Yami so much, he gasped and stumbled back against the wall, almost slipping on the wet floor. Thankfully, he saw that Yami had wrapped his arm in the plastic, and he let out a sigh of irritated relief. Talk about a fucking heart attack.

Seto turned on his heel and strode out of the bathroom, slamming the door loudly behind him. He needed to write down care instructions for the wound and translate them over into Arabic. So much for a relaxing morning.

Yami was shaking from head to toe as he shut the water off, feeling cold all over, even though the water had been hot.

He stood very still, his owner's muscular upper body burned into his mind as he listened for sounds coming from outside his door, his heart thumping loudly in his ears.

His owner had come in to dirty his hole, but had shown restraint towards him…! And… Yami swallowed nervously, hugging himself. His owner looked like sculpture underneath his clothes!

 _He looks slender with his clothes on, but he is strong underneath!_ Yami thought, awe-struck. He shivered again, the water drying steadily across his skin.

Now, Yami was really beginning to wonder what his owner did for a living. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself, feeling oddly relieved.

He walked out of the bathroom just as his owner was striding back into the room, fully dressed, wearing a sharp, white suit paired with a blue tie that matched his eyes.

Yami gasped and swallowed thickly, feeling his anxiety and fear rush up inside him all over again, and he backed away. He was unable to tear his eyes away from his owner, who looked impossibly handsome.

"Here." Seto said roughly, handing Yami the sheet of paper which had been updated with several more rules he had written, watching the boy accept it from him while staring oddly.

Yami blinked and nodded, his heart racing as he gripped the paper tightly and read what his owner had written. It was the same set of rules as before, only more sentences had been added after the seventh rule.

 _7._ _Laziness will be punished._

 _8._ _Do NOT touch my food or drink._

 _9._ _Cover your wound in plastic before bathing. Apply ointment twice a day and wrap with fresh bandages after every application._

Yami looked up from the paper, feeling numb.  
His owner was very smart, somehow managing to write in a way that sounded like a textbook or a manual, which made Yami wonder, did he speak like this too? He knew people like this existed but he had never met anyone so uptight before in his life.

His owner was staring at him with his arms crossed, and Yami nodded hastily, showing that he understood. He rushed over to the nightstand and set the paper down, grabbing his clothes and getting dressed, not caring that his owner could now see him nude.  
His owner saw him nude all the time. In fact, his owner probably preferred him nude.

Seto watched with increasing horror as the boy turned away from him and shamelessly began getting dressed, letting the towel drop carelessly onto the floor as he did so.

Gritting his teeth, he strode back into his room and made sure to shut and lock the connecting door, feeling conflicted. This boy was acting way too comfortable around him! Forcefully hugging and kissing him casually, laying in his bed asking to be kissed, touching his pillows, rummaging through his clothes, touching his _food_ …!

 _'_ _Boundaries' needs to be a word in his vocabulary!_ Seto thought furiously, seeing his phone light up and vibrate on his desk. He picked it up hastily, noticing that it was a text from Mokuba's tutor.

 _"_ _Mr. Kaiba, I am pleased and honored to hear from you again. Yes, I am available to meet with you and the student today! Where shall we hold the lesson?"_

 _"_ _In the guest room…"_ Seto paused before he sent it, his fingers hovering over the keyboard as he contemplated this for a while. No, that would be a bad idea. This crazy, unpredictable, sex-addicted kid might assault the tutor. Better to hold the lessons under his supervision until he was comfortable leaving the boy alone with the instructor.

Hastily deleting the text, Seto re-wrote it: " _Please hold the lesson in my office where I am immediately available if anything should happen. The boy is a foreigner and behaves badly."_

And he sent it, watching his phone buzz as the tutor replied almost immediately, sounding worried.

 _"_ _Is the boy difficult to manage? Should I bring treats or an interesting toy?"_

Seto grit his teeth, realizing he had neglected to mention Yami's age and the tutor thought she was dealing with a young, elementary child.

 _"_ _No. I can manage him. He is older than Mokuba."_ He typed quickly, realizing he didn't know Yami's exact age. _"He behaves oddly and does not have a sense of personal space."_

Seto shoved his phone into his pocket and walked out of the room, just as Isono was coming down the hallway, looking harassed.

"Good morning, Master Kaiba." Isono said stiffly, avoiding eye contact.

Kaiba nodded and knocked on the foreign boy's door. Isono frowned, thinking this was odd. Was Master Kaiba doing this for appearances? He had seen the boy in Kaiba's bed this morning.

Isono coughed politely, "Master Kaiba, there is an adjoining door. You could enter the room that way."

The boy showed up at the door, dressed in a light sweater and athletic shorts, looking apprehensive.

"That door is to remain locked." Kaiba said firmly, striding into the room and picking up several elementary school textbooks and tucking them under his arm. "I forgot to lock it last night and the boy came snooping around in my room."

Yami watched his owner pick up his textbooks, the easy ones, along with his translation dictionary, apparently confiscating them.

 _My books!_ He thought frantically, chasing after his owner, feeling angry. Wasn't there going to be a teacher arriving to help him with the language?! Why was his owner taking his books away?!

"I see." Isono nodded, suddenly remembering, "The lab results from the boy's clothes will be available for you tonight."

"Good." Kaiba said stiffly, walking towards the stairs, the boy following closely at his heels, looking afraid. "The tutor will meet me at my office. The boy is dangerous to be around."

Isono felt himself sweat and nodded again. He knew exactly what Master Kaiba was talking about.

Yami wondered why no one was stopping him from leaving his room and following his owner. His owner seemed impatient, ignoring him as usual.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Yami watched his owner pull the front doors open and stride outside, his books still tucked beneath his arm.

 _No!_ Yami thought, horrified, hovering in the doorway and watching his owner stand by the doors of the long black car.

 _Come here!_ Seto thought irritably, gesturing for Yami to follow, watching him waver at the doorstep.

"Yami!" He called, and he pointed into the car.

Understanding began to dawn on Yami and he nodded quickly, forcing his feet to move forwards, he walked out into the sunshine, following his owner into the long black car.

His owner was sitting inside already and Yami nervously shut the door behind him, noticing that the burly men were nowhere to be seen.

Instantly suspicious, Yami sat very still, feeling the car roll forwards gently and pull away past the black gate.  
Where were his owner's men?!  
And where were they going?  
Why did his owner confiscate his books?!  
And his owner was dressed so nicely…was he going out to see a woman?

Seto watched Yami fidget nervously, his eyes darting between him and window, looking extremely worried.

 _Relax_ , Seto growled internally and he patted the seat beside him, thinking the Yami would feel better if they sat closer. The boy seemed to enjoy touching, after all.

Yami shook his head, his eyes unnaturally wide. He looked frightened.

Seto nodded slowly and placed his hand back into his lap, trying not to feel offended. There was never a time he had ever seen Yami look relaxed, or even happy.

The boy always looked agitated, nervous, and frightened, like wild animal who didn't know where his next meal was coming from.  
Meal!  
Shit.  
He didn't feed the kid before the lesson. Fuck.

Seto slipped his phone out of his pocket to send his secretary a quick text, feeling the boy watch his every move closely.

Yami saw his owner sigh and slide his phone back into his pocket, looking worn out.

 _Perhaps we're going to his workplace._ Yami thought hopefully, feeling his pulse quicken excitedly. _He wants a companion, so it's only natural that I get to go with him!_

Yami dared to look out the window, noticing that they were once again passing by the building that touched the sky, his owner's silver logo panned across the side, flashing imposingly at him in the sunlight. The car stopped right in front of the steps and Yami bit back a gasp.

They weren't passing by. They were going inside!

 _I get to see the inside!_ Yami thought excitedly, his fear vanishing and quickly replaced with anticipation. He watched his owner uncross his long legs and step out of the car, calling his name.

"Yami." Seto said impatiently, standing by the door, eyeing the area surrounding them nervously. The paparazzi were laying off of him today, thank fuck.

 _I'm coming_ , _and I know we are getting out,_ Yami responded in his head irritably, quickly climbing out of the car and staring up at the skyscraper, awe-struck.

Seto shut the car door and pointed towards the doorway. Up.  
He noticed Yami was staring open-mouthed, up at the building and he gave the boy a nudge. _We're going. Stop ogling._

Yami nodded and followed his owner up the wide steps which seemed to sparkle back at him in the sunlight. Amazing. This was going to be a fun day! His owner was showing him his workplace!

 _Now, I can find out what he does that makes him so much money_ , Yami thought secretly, feeling elated as they walked past a set of sliding glass doors.

The first thing Yami noticed was the ceiling. It seemed to stretch on above him for miles! And everything inside the building was shiny; large glass panes lined the inside and Yami could see people walking by, getting smaller and smaller as he turned his gaze upwards.

Feeling dizzy, he looked down at the ground they were walking on, noticing the sharp, slender, triangular patterns, and making the floor seem even wider and longer than it already was.

Wide metal tubes sat against one side of the building, with large glass cylinders full of people being lifted upward.

One glass cylinder lifted right in front of them, and Yami watched people file in, amazed by how quickly the glass lifts rushed higher into the building.

Amazing. Breathtaking.

He watched with increasing interest as people bobbed their heads respectfully, or fully bowed as his owner walked by, some even doing so to him! Yami tried to suppress the strange bubble of pride swelling up in his chest. He felt like a king walking through his subjects! And his owner was treated like this every day!

Yami bobbed his head back to the people who made eye contact with him, but then stopped, noticing that his owner was striding right through everyone, ignoring everything coldly.

Hurrying forwards to catch up, Yami realized his owner was getting into a private lift. This one had no people in it, and it was around the corner from where the others were.

His legs shaking, Yami stepped into the glass lift with his owner, looking around curiously. The doors slid shut and he watched his owner lean back against the railing with familiar ease, one hand in his pocket, the other with his books still tucked underneath his arm.

Swallowing his amazement, Yami stared out through the glass enclosure, watching the people get smaller and smaller beneath them as they went higher and higher up.

He turned his head back to stare at his owner, his chest tightening painfully, thinking that his owner always looked terribly handsome, and even more so, now that he was in his element, surrounded by the people who worked for him.

 _This world is cruel and unfair!_ Yami thought darkly, staring at the large metal tubes whizzing by as the lift continued to climb higher into the building.  
_This man is barely older than me! He is too handsome, and somehow has enough money for a thousand lifetimes!_  
He has servants and maids!  
He could have any woman he wants!  
And yet…I am here…to serve his sick, twisted fantasies-

Yami was jolted out of his thoughts as the lift stopped suddenly and his owner stepped out.

A pretty woman sitting at a wide, curved, stone desk, stood and bowed deeply, saying something in his owner's language. She was wearing a very low-cut blouse and when she bowed, Yami could see all the way down her shirt.

She was wearing a simple white bra with clear straps.

Horrified, Yami looked away and jerked his head up to stare at his owner, who didn't even blink at her, walking straight through a set of solid doors with tall, metal handles.

 _Had she done that on purpose?_ Yami wondered faintly, stepping into the large room, blinking as his eyes stung from the brightness of it all. The walls seemed to sparkle. Tall windows that reached from floor to ceiling panned an entire wall.

Yami could see the entire view of the city right from where he stood. The sky was bright blue and the buildings beneath them sparkled sharply, leaving green spots in his eyes.

He felt his breath hitch in his chest. Amazing.

A sleek steel desk gleamed at him, and a large screen sat on the wall opposite of a sleek black couch. A separate, glass table sat in the corner of the room, with four metal wire chairs tucked into it.

Yami stared at the chairs, intrigued. He was learning more about his owner the more he saw. He could now conclude that his owner liked glass, metal, and sparse but luxurious furnishing. He also ignored everyone in sight, except for Mokuba and his manservant. Interesting.

 _So, I shouldn't be offended when he ignores me most of the time_ , Yami thought to himself, still standing awkwardly in the center of the large room, watching his owner sit down behind the steel desk, and large white shades began lowering over the windows slowly.

Yami blinked, listening to the soft, mechanical whirring, trying to calm his pounding heart as he stared at his owner's slender form sitting behind the desk. His owner looked like a picture out of a magazine! He looked like he fit right into everything around him!

Yami looked down at himself, staring at his plain black shorts, athletic shoes and light grey sweater.

 _The boy Mokuba dresses in a similar way_ , he thought, trying to console himself. He looked around the room, unsure of what to do with himself. He felt so out of place.

His owner had opened a computer and was typing across the surface quickly, his face serious, the clicking sound of his fingers across the keys echoing around the room.

Yami stared at the stack of his books sitting at the edge of his owner's desk, wondering if he could have them. He eyed the large screen sitting in front of the couch, and his stomach grumbled with hunger. Which should he ask for first: food or the TV?

Yami decided he could starve, because anything he saw on the screen was more important than food. He could get food eventually, but his access to a screen was limited.

"Seto..?" Yami said hesitantly, and his owner ignored him, continuing to type furiously across the keyboard.

"Seto." He repeated firmly, and he pointed at the screen. _The TV. I want to watch it._

Seto barely looked up from his screen, seeing the boy point at the TV, and he shook his head, pointing at the books. _Study._

The boy could watch TV anytime, later. The tutor was on her way over.  
Where the hell was the food he had ordered?

He reached across his desk to pick up the phone, dialing his secretary at the front, watching Yami clench his fists, looking frustrated. Seto pointed at the books again, listening to the phone ring once in his ear and his secretary picked up, "Mr. Kaiba!"

"Did you get my text?" He asked quickly, watching Yami shake his head insistently and point at the TV. This little fucking spoiled brat.

Seto pointed roughly at stack of books, tapping it to show his impatience. _Study!_

"…..be coming back in a few minutes with the food." His secretary said, and he realized he didn't catch what she had said earlier. Yami was being a little brat.

"Good." Seto said roughly, before furiously hanging up. He stood smoothly and grabbed the stack of books, walking over to the glass table in the far corner of the room; he slammed them down onto the surface and pulled out a chair, pointing resolutely into the seat.

"Yami, sit here." He said stiffly, once again feeling like he was talking to a badly-behaved dog.

Yami crossed his arms haughtily, trying to show that he would not be intimidated. Why was his stupid owner allowing him to have books, but not the screen?! The nameless boy was right! The screen definitely held more importance than books.

Seto felt a headache coming on. He needed to add another fucking rule to the list, but he had stupidly left the Japanese to Arabic dictionary in his desk at home, and he wasn't about to call Isono to have him run it over just so he could explain to the kid that studying came before watching TV.

Seto grit his teeth, thinking if he had acted this way with Gozaburo in his childhood, he would've been beaten within an inch of his life. Violence was not the answer.

He could shout at the boy, but that was a meaningless waste of energy.  
They couldn't understand each other.  
The only thing this kid seemed to understand was sex.  
But that would make a terrible punishment because sex was a rewarding experience for the boy.

"Sit. Here. I won't ask you again." Seto said angrily, pointing at the chair once more and tapping the books. He knew Yami understood him.  
He was being a little shit on purpose.

Yami frowned. It seemed that he was at an impasse with his owner.  
His owner would not give him access to the screen; not here, and not in his bedroom back at the large house. Books were allowed, probably because his owner thought he was a slow learner.

 _Do I have to earn access to the screen?_ Yami wondered hazily, his stomach curling with hunger again.

"Yami!" His owner almost shouted his name, one hand, shaking, tightly clenched at his side, while the other pointed into the seat of the chair.

 _Fine, fine!_ Yami thought furiously, stalking over towards the chair and sitting down angrily. His owner seemed very close to hitting him and he didn't want to risk crossing that dangerous line.  
Once his owner started doing anything, Yami was sure he would finish it to the very end.  
He was that kind of man, for sure.

 _Thank…fuck._ Seto thought furiously, forcing himself to relax. He was getting angry over nothing. This boy was clearly taking advantage of all the new things in his environment.

"Now read your shit until the tutor gets here." Seto said stiffly, tapping the topmost book and staring down into Yami's face, watching him blink imploringly up at him, his beautiful violet eyes sparkling. What? What did he want? A fucking reward? For sitting down in the chair? What the fuck was this?

Yami watched his owner's expressions carefully, wondering if he was going to be hit. Suddenly, his owner bent down and cupped his face in his hands, pressing his lips tightly across his forehead, and Yami felt his face heat up intensely. Oh. He was going to be punished instead. Would his owner make him use his mouth this time? Yami swallowed tightly, briefly wondering what that would even feel like.

His owner straightened up stiffly and Yami watched him stride back over to the desk and sit down to quickly resume typing.

Blinking in confusion, Yami turned around to face his books, his heart thumping too quickly in his chest.  
H-How confusing!  
His owner's actions made him so nervous!

Seto clenched his jaw, tensing as he resumed typing up the meeting notes he had been writing, wondering what had possessed him to do that. The boy was nothing like Mokuba - even though his bratty behavior came pretty close - it wasn't brotherly love he was feeling towards this foreigner.

There was a soft knock at the door and his secretary stepped into the room, carrying two large paper bags. She set them down on the low coffee table, glancing uncertainly at the foreigner sitting at the table in the far corner of the room.

"Your friend, Mr. Kaiba?" She asked tentatively, fingering her necklace suggestively, her gaze fixed on Yami's spiky hair.

Seto felt his eyelid twitch.

"Yes." He lied. Anything to avoid further questions. What did his secretary want? She didn't usually linger unless she was offering to fuck, and was she offering to fuck?! Because he wasn't in the mood.

"He's pretty." She said heartily, giving Yami a smile just as Yami turned to stare, his cheeks reddening instantly.

Seto noticed this immediately, and it intrigued him. This boy liked women too? Fuck, then maybe he should've called a male tutor. Nope. It was a lose-lose either way.

Yami had understood what the lady had said.  
She said the word 'pretty'.  
Was she talking to his owner? What was pretty? Her necklace?  
Because she was touching it a lot, and Yami couldn't help but stare, his gaze lowering to the soft curves of her supple breasts, feeling his mouth go dry.  
His owner constantly had this pretty woman around! How unfair.

"Go ahead and try to talk to him," Seto encouraged, biting his tongue to keep from laughing. "He doesn't understand any Japanese and has no sense of personal space."

His secretary gave a light, tinkling laugh, "All foreigners have a different sense of space, Mr. Kaiba. If you don't mind…?"

"I don't mind." Seto responded roughly, lowering his gaze back to his screen, his fingers shaking with anticipation. Would Yami try to jump his secretary? Would he try to kiss her, and do all of that weird shit he usually tried?

"Really! How nice of you." His secretary said, giving him a bright smile and walking over towards Yami, her heels clicking across the tiles loudly.

Yami listened very hard to the conversation his owner was having with the pretty lady, only catching his owner's name. 'Mr. Kaiba'

 _Why is she coming over here?_ Yami thought frantically, lowering his gaze towards his books, wondering if his owner cared. Yami threw a glance over at the desk.  
His owner was ignoring everything, as usual.

Suddenly, the woman was standing right in front of him, hovering by the edge of the table on her pretty, red heels and smiling demurely.

"Hello!" She said brightly, reaching her hand out for a handshake.

Yami blinked, surprised at himself. He had understood that she said hello.

Holding his breath, Yami contemplated his next actions carefully. Just because his owner seemed to be ignoring them, didn't mean he wasn't secretly watching.

Standing up from his seat, Yami shook her hand and bowed forwards respectfully, repeating the greeting back to her, "Hello."

Seto snapped his head up to stare, shocked.

"Oh..!" His secretary laughed delightfully, warmly gripping Yami's hand, "Mr. Kaiba, you devil! He can speak a little!"

"Right." Seto responded, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice, but his secretary wasn't listening. She was gazing intently into Yami's face, looking excited, "What is your name?"

Yami heard her speak again as she released his hand and he nodded again, unsure of what to say. He couldn't understand what she said, and his hand was warming up pleasantly from her touch. This woman was young too, probably about the same age as his owner...!

 _His girlfriend?_ Yami thought suddenly, panic stricken. Was this why they were having such a nice conversation? She kept saying 'Mr. Kaiba' and his owner was responding to her, sounding nice.

"Oh…no, no, I didn't mean to scare you!" She cried, glancing frantically over her shoulder at Kaiba. "Mr. Kaiba, he's afraid of me now...!"

Seto set his teeth, nodding. This confirmed that he wasn't imagining things. That frightened expression was something he saw very often.

"I'll go now." She said hastily, nodding, her heels clicking across the tiles again as she pulled the door open quickly and stepped out.

"Try again later." Kaiba called after her, feeling his amusement rise. He noticed Yami was swaying slightly on the spot, looking like he was about to faint. Was it because he liked her?

Yami watched her go, wondering how often he would see her. She sat at the very front, and it seemed like she was his owner's personal help. His gaze lowered to the large brown bags she had brought in earlier.  
He could smell the mouthwatering scent of…food!

All the thoughts about his owner's girlfriend vanished in an instant and Yami rushed towards the bags, peering excitedly in through the tops. Fried potatoes!

He reached in eagerly but then stopped himself, swallowing tightly as he glanced up at his owner, wondering if this food was even meant for him.

His owner had written a rule about not touching his food or drink.

How was he supposed to know what was his owner's food or drink and what wasn't?! That rule was stupid. His owner was stupid.

Yami bravely tugged out a long strip of fried potato and took a bite, chewing loudly, watching his owner carefully for a reaction. His owner ignored him.

 _Then this is all mine!_ Yami thought gleefully, sitting down on the floor by the low table and ripping the bag open noisily, looking up at his owner for a reaction. Nothing. His owner sat stone faced, still rhythmically typing.

 _Such an odd personality,_ Yami thought, disgruntled, spotting a small paper box. He opened it and a set of glazed chicken drumsticks sparkled back at him, making his mouth water painfully.

 _Is this for me?! …..This is for me!_ Yami smiled happily, hastily searching the bags for a paper napkin. He found one and grabbed the base of the chicken leg, biting into the delicious juicy meat, enjoying the soft sweetness.  
Amazing! The chicken in this country tasted like this!

He finished it quickly and started on the other one, grabbing another strip of fried potato, enjoying the way everything tasted. He set the chicken bones neatly back in the box and tugged at the other bag, seeing a round plastic top.

Intrigued, Yami slipped his hands in and pulled out a thin metal pan filled with green vegetables, sliced tomatoes, small cubes of what looked like cheese, and thin strips of meat.

His eyes and mouth watering, he popped the plastic lid off and quickly found a plastic fork. He ate enthusiastically, chewing carefully, enjoying the fresh taste of everything in his mouth, still amazed that his owner was willingly feeding him this much food.

 _I could gain some muscle this way,_ Yami thought hopefully, almost finishing the plate of greens.  
He dug around in the bag, looking for more food.  
There was none.

 _Oh_ , Yami thought guiltily, staring down at the remaining box of fried potatoes and his plate of greens. _I should have left some for him._

He stood and carried the plate of greens over to his owner's desk, watching his owner's hands pause for a moment, and then resume typing.

 _I know you see me,_ Yami thought angrily, knocking lightly on the desk with his knuckles. _Would you like some of this food before I eat it all?_

Seto turned to face Yami, who was standing resolutely at the edge of his desk, apparently trying to give him half of his salad. Gross. He wasn't going to eat this kid's leftovers. What the fuck did he look like, a trash disposal?

"Seto." Yami said quietly, and he pointed at the salad. His owner ignored him, continuing to type rigidly.

Seto grit his teeth, feeling his fingertips grow numb from the constant typing. Could Yami just…. leave him alone for two seconds? If he couldn't finish the food, he could leave it there.

"Seto…?" Yami repeated, louder, inching towards his owner and sliding the plate of greens across the desk at him. He hadn't seen his owner eat anything from the moment he woke up at the house. Was his owner not hungry? Or had his owner somehow eaten, and he didn't see?

Seto shot Yami a glare and pointed at the stack of books across the room.  
_Study. And leave me alone._

Yami shook his head back at him, tapping his wrist oddly.

Seto blinked and ignored him.

Yami slid the plate of greens right up against his owner's arm, bumping it into him.

Seto hissed in anger and lifted his arm up off the table, pointing furiously at the table across the room. Go, over, there, and leave, me, alone.

The boy shook his head and tapped his wrist again, as if he was wearing a watch, like he was saying…. " _time to eat."_  
What the fuck?! Was this kid trying to be his mom?!

Yami frowned, wondering if he was being clear enough. It was the only thing he could think to say, that it was time to eat. If his owner wanted to starve, then fine. This man was stupid and that just meant more food for him.

Yami grabbed the plate and stalked off, sitting back down at the table with the salad, staring moodily at the stacks of books.

Seto watched him with great interest, a strange feeling curling in his chest.  
This kid was weird as fuck.

* * *

**Author's note:**

As always, deep appreciation and thanks to Animaniac1017 for your time and edits! You improve the readability of this story immensely.

-insert Ugli's usual happy-loving rant to all my readers-

**Okay but real talk, I AM NOT HAPPY.**

**I will close my anon box on tumblr and refuse to answer any direct messages if I receive any more threats or pressure to update "on time".**

**It is THE DAY of update and I don't need my inbox flooded with "ARE U GONNA UPDATE TODAY?! WHEN ARE GONA UPDATE IM WAITING"**

**FIRST:**  
**the answer is YES, I said I would update today, so an update is coming. Sit down.**

 **FIRST:**  
**FUCK YOU. YOU'RE TALKING AS IF I AM NOT FURIOUSLY EDITING RIGHT THIS MOMENT WHILE YOU ARE "IMPATIENTLY WAITING "**

 **FIRST:**  
**BE FUCKING PATIENT because do YOU THINK IT'S _EASY_ or something?! TO SPIT OUT 10,000+ WORD CHAPTERS WEEKLY (no scratch that. 20,000 words because I AM WRITING CASE 001 AT THE SAME TIME) FOR YOU TO JUST BINGE-READ IT IN LESS THAN 30 MINS**  
**(oh and not leave a comment thank you very much)**  
**WHEN IT LITERALLY TOOK ME AND MY EDITOR _-DAYS-(and I MEAN DAYS)_ to make each and every chapter PERFECT.**

 **SECOND:**  
**This is ALL my FREE TIME, take your abusive comments elsewhere.**  
**(I've had some readers use anon, and some without. *STARES OUT INTO THE DARK ABYSS OF THE INTERNET* STOP IT.)**

 **AND THIRD:**  
**HONESTLY, THESE PRESSURED COMMENTS MAKE ME WANT TO QUIT.**

 **If you can't already tell,**  
**I am ANGRY.**  
**I feel offended and harassed**  
**And I am furious.**

**Believe me when I say**

**I WILL ABANDON**

**ALL OF THESE FICS**

**if the pressured comments continue.**

**because I don't owe anyone ANYTHING.**

**And I am sick of it!**  
**I have never had strangers on the internet make me cry before.**

**...**

**VERY SINCERELY YOURS WITH STEAM COMING OUT OF MY EARS,**

**UGLI**

**….*sniffles. I have rights as a human being dammit.**


	9. on the ground

Isono walked into the foreign boy's room, his arms full of the boy's new clothes. He set the stack down on the bed and slid the closet door open, feeling oddly unsettled. This boy had been in their home for less than a week, and Master Kaiba was being unusually accommodating.

He grabbed a hanger and methodically began hanging the jackets and shirts, pausing when he spotted a folded piece of paper sitting on the low table with Mokuba's name on it.

It was written in neat, little round letters, and it looked nothing like Master Kaiba's handwriting. Isono realized with a jolt that the boy had written it!

He dropped the hanger onto the bed and rushed over to the table, picking up the paper. It was folded like a letter.

He opened it with shaking hands, reading the contents quickly.

 _"_ _Dear Mokuba,_

_I wish to be your friend, please do not hate me!  
I am not a threat, nor do I want to steal your Seto from you._

_Let's be friends,_

_Yami "_

Isono blinked, feeling lightheaded. This boy was incredibly intelligent! He had managed to write this well with only a translation dictionary?

He had to show Master Kaiba!

Isono slipped out his phone and snapped a photo of the letter, sending it hastily before setting the paper back into its place on the table.

* * *

Seto watched his phone buzz across his desk and he ignored it. He heard a knock sound at the door and his secretary's voice floated through it softly. "Mr. Kaiba! The teacher is here for you!"

Yami jerked his head up to stare, watching his owner stand quickly and stride to the door, pulling it open.

A young woman dressed neatly in a simple blazer bowed deeply and smiled. Her hair was pulled into a short ponytail and her eyes were soft and round.

Yami blinked, feeling his chest tighten nervously. This girl was pretty too! Did his owner hire pretty people on purpose?!

There was a man standing behind the pretty woman. He was taller than her, but shorter than his owner. He had tanned skin, dark curly hair, and a high-bridged nose.

Yami blinked and stared, his heart pounding excitedly in his chest.  
That man looked like someone from his country!

The two strangers stepped into the room and his owner shut the door behind them, nodding and speaking softly.

Yami stared at the man with dark curly hair, noticing that his eyes were thin slits.

 _He's mixed!_ Yami realized with trickling astonishment. How had his owner managed to find someone from his country so quickly?!  
Amazing!  
The power of money was amazing.

Suddenly, the woman with the ponytail turned to smile brightly at him, "Hello!" She said warmly, waving.

Yami raised his hand up halfheartedly, staring intently at his owner, who was speaking very quickly with the curly-haired man. What were they talking about?! He desperately wanted to know.

The woman approached him and pointed at herself, her smile was blinding, "Miss. Ao."

Yami stood quickly, understanding that this was an introduction. This was going to be his teacher! He bowed slightly, straightening up stiffly the way he had seen his owner do many times and repeated her name, "Miss Ao."

Yami felt his owner and the curly-haired man turn to stare at him.  
He itched uncomfortably in his skin.

She smiled even brighter and clapped her hands in delight, "Good! Good!" And she pointed at herself again, repeating her name before pointing at back him.

Yami felt oddly light headed, thinking she was treating him like a young child. He nodded and said his name carefully. "Yami."

Once again, his owner and the curly-haired man stopped speaking and turned to stare at him. Yami was growing irritated. What was with all the staring and whispering?!

The teacher seemed to sense his unease and she made a careless gesture towards his owner and the curly-haired man, as if she was swatting a fly away from her face. Yami felt his heart leap up into his chest. This teacher was sensitive and understanding!

He watched her pull the chair out across from him, sitting down gracefully and picking up the book at the top of the stack. She began flipping through it diligently, calling out a question to his owner.

Yami's ears began ringing as his owner responded, sounding rushed, and the man with dark curly hair walked towards him, eyeing him strangely.

"I'm here to help you understand anything the teacher has to say." The man said smoothly and perfectly in his language.

Yami nodded stiffly and looked to his owner, who was still speaking with the teacher.

"Speak, so I know you understand," the man said, frowning.

Yami nodded again, feeling uneasy. "Yes."

This man was not as friendly as the lady teacher.

"My name is Rahim, but address me as Maeda-san. I prefer it." The man said shortly, pointedly avoiding eye contact, his gaze drifting over Yami's shoulder as he spoke.

Yami nodded and swallowed tightly, refusing to speak, thinking that he would call this man 'Rahim' in his mind anyway.  
It was refreshing to hear his own language, but this man sounded bored and detached. He clearly didn't want to be here.

Seto finished speaking with the tutor and strode back over to his desk, sitting down carefully and watching the strange trio seat themselves at the glass table across the room.  
His secretary was savvy enough to nab a translator on his day off so that this first lesson could go smoothly. He figured he ought to send her a text, thanking her.

He picked up his phone and saw a photo attached to a text from Isono: " _Master Kaiba, you must see this…"_

Seto slid his thumb across the bottom of the screen and opened the message, tapping on the photo and frowning.

What the fuck was this?

He quickly enlarged the photo, his heart pounding quickly as he read a letter Yami had written addressed to Mokuba. Holy…shit.

Seto read the letter again, finding himself re-reading the same line over and over again, unable to stop himself.

 _"_ _I am not a threat, nor do I want to steal your Seto from you."_

He gripped his phone tightly, wondering why the letter Yami had given him sounded confusing as hell, but this letter addressed to Mokuba sounded coherent and fluent.

Seto glanced up at the table, listening to the tutor speak to Yami, watching Yami nod and listen enthusiastically, his eyes wide and alert.

"The dog is brown…." Miss Ao was saying, slowly, writing out the words as she went, and Seto watched Yami copy her exactly, diligently writing down the characters.  
Interesting. He was writing quickly, with practiced ease.

Seto suddenly remembered the stack of pages Yami had done-all one hundred and twenty of them. He had already passed this point in the book!  
They were wasting time!

Seto stood and walked towards the table, watching Miss Ao turn to smile at him uncertainly, "Mr. Kaiba? Is there a problem?"

"You're doing fine," Seto responded gruffly, reaching for the book, "He's already self-studied past this point. Please continue from…here." And he flipped quickly past a few chapters, slightly surprised that Yami had almost managed to reach the end of the book.

Yami watched with increasing horror as his owner interrupted their lesson and directed the teacher to a chapter he had not yet read. Why..?! His owner somehow knew how much he had studied! How?

 _He's monitoring my studies!_ Yami realized, forcing himself not to react as he could feel Rahim shifting beside him, clearly bored. _The lessons are being held here, so he can know how much I'm learning!_

"Well, a review couldn't hurt!" Miss Ao protested, giving the book a light flip, steadily counting the chapters. No foreigner would be able to skip this many basics and learn the structure of the language properly!

"Have a look at this." Seto said roughly, placing his phone down on the table in front of her. He watched her bend forwards to read it, her eyes widening as she lifted her head to smile at Yami.

"Oh my! So, he's already studied quite a bit on his own!" She exclaimed happily, patting the new chapter and nodding at Yami, who, Seto noticed, once again looked extremely nervous.

 _Yeah, you're not so smart now, are you?_ Seto thought spitefully, walking back over to his desk and sitting down, seeing Yami throw him a frantic glare over his shoulder. The quicker this kid could learn, the faster he could throw him out.

Yami felt himself sweat terribly as the teacher pointed at a long, complicated sentence, speaking slowly. " _I…when…happy…"_

Yami swallowed stiffly, hearing Rahim snicker beside him and he gripped his knees tightly in hatred. He would find a way to get through this lesson without the help of that man.

His teacher repeated the sentence slowly and Yami caught more words the second time around.

 _"_ _I feel happy….when…my…..ocean."_

Yami found that he could pronounce the entire sentence and mimic the teacher's words, but he didn't know what half of it meant.

" _I feel happy when my father takes us to see the ocean together_." Yami repeated effortlessly, wondering what on earth he was saying.

The teacher nodded and clapped, moving on to the next sentence and Yami realized he was doomed.  
If he continued the lesson like this, he would not learn a thing.  
He would have to ask the teacher to explain, and he could only do that by talking to…Rahim.

Yami grit his teeth and swallowed his pride. "Wait. I don't understand half of that sentence." He said in his language, not looking at Rahim.

"As I thought." Rahim said coldly. "And I know which parts you don't understand."

Yami was caught off guard, forgetting his anger for a moment. "You do?"

Miss Ao stopped to stare, and Yami could feel his owner's eyes on his back too.

" _'_ _I feel happy when my father takes us to see the ocean together',_ is the entire sentence." Rahim said quickly, pointing at the book. "You don't understand the part between _"my father"_ and " _together"._ We don't speak this way in our language. It's backwards."

"I understand." Yami said, not understanding at all.

"You don't." Rahim responded stiffly, giving him a condescending look. "In their language, it would be, _'I feel happy, to see ocean, with my father, takes us together.'_ "

Yami blinked, understanding immediately. It was like puzzle pieces.

"Do you get it now?" Rahim drawled, tapping the book, "or do I need to explain the definitions of 'together' and 'ocean' to you?"

Yami clenched his fists, feeling properly angry now. This man was making fun of him.

"I know what those are, thank you." Yami said stiffly, turning back to the book as he felt his face burn with humiliation.

"Are you sure?" The man pressed, sounding slightly amused, knowing he had made Yami angry. "You seem like you don't."

Yami held his breath and willed his face to remain blank. He wanted to make a good impression on this teacher.

"You can't make a good impression on this teacher." Rahim said slowly, as if reading his mind, "She's here because she's paid to help, like I am. Don't live here. You'll be judged and ridiculed for your looks forever. Go back to your country."

Yami felt his heart beat so fast it became a low hum in his chest. What was this man trying to do? Warn him or help him?

"And you haven't been ridiculed for your looks?" Yami asked roughly. He knew this was grossly off-topic from the lesson, but he couldn't help himself. This man was infuriating.

"I have been, but my advantage is that I am half Japanese." Rahim said slowly, propping his head up on his arm, looking entertained, "And I carved myself a life here, as a translator for foreign dignitaries. You look like you came from the streets."

Seto lifted his head to stare, listening intently to the conversation Yami was having with the translator, noting that the tone of Yami's voice sounded rushed and harassed. What the hell were they talking about?

He caught a worried look from the teacher and he nodded, folding his hands across his face, threading his fingers together, obscuring his mouth which was set into a tight frown. What was going on…?

"How…dare you assume that!" Yami hissed, not caring that he looked angry now. He knew no one could understand him. Hopefully the teacher would think he was just frustrated with the sentence.

"It's the truth, isn't it?" Rahim said, sounding almost gleeful. "I've seen your kind, every time I go back. I avoid the marketplaces because of filth like you. How did you come to be here? And with such a powerful man like Seto Kaiba? Is it blackmail? Tell me, I am genuinely interested now."

Yami found that he couldn't speak. The blood was rushing in his ears so loudly he couldn't hear himself think.  
The only thing he could think of was how to hurt this man.  
This man knew nothing about him!

Yami took a deep breath and glared deeply at the man, running his spiteful words over in his mind... _"Such a powerful man like Seto Kaiba…"_ Well, it seemed like this man feared his owner.

Yami decided he would make his owner kick this man out, and take his pay for good measure.

He knew his owner wanted this lesson to go smoothly.  
Well, now the lesson was about to go very _un_ -smoothly.

Yami stood up so fast from his chair, it scraped loudly across the floor. He pointed at the door, spitting his words out furiously, "Get out."

Seto blinked and stood hastily the moment he saw Yami rise and point at the door while glaring daggers at the translator.  
They were having a fight.  
He had heard his name in there somewhere too.

"No." Rahim said coolly, sliding one leg over the other, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "You can't talk to me like this in the presence of that man. You will be punished. It's my word against yours. And your words, can't even speak this language."

"I know enough." Yami hissed, recalling a phrase he had learned in his frantic bid for information. He turned towards his owner and said loudly, "Seto, I hate him."

Yami heard Miss Ao gasp and he saw his owner's eyes widen. Good.

Seto blinked rapidly, unable to believe his ears. What the fuck was going on…?!

Rahim spoke up quickly, addressing his owner as 'Kaiba-sama' while speaking rapid-fire Japanese, and Yami clenched his fists, feeling hopeless as he failed to catch any of the sounds. This man was vile!

Seto blinked, listening to Maeda-san speak, sounding rushed, "Kaiba-sama, this boy is awfully rude and disgusting in nature. He is insulting me, calling me names, and refusing to accept my explanation for the sentence."

Seto's gaze traveled over Yami's face, realizing he was wearing an expression he had never seen before. Defiant anger. Humiliation and embarrassment.

"What do you suggest I do?" Seto asked slowly, watching Yami's expressions carefully. The boy looked close to tears.

"Throw him out." Maeda-san said roughly. "Get rid of him. He doesn't appreciate our culture."

"I see." Seto said slowly, realizing that this man clearly hated Yami for some reason. And it wasn't because they were calling each other names.  
He had glanced through the swear words in the Arabic translation dictionary, and he hadn't heard anything like them during their conversation.

This man was lying and Yami's distressed reaction confirmed it.

Miss Ao spoke up timidly from behind Yami, "I don't think the boy was being rude, Mr. Kaiba."

Seto held up a hand and pressed his other to his temples.

He could throw this man out and get his secretary to hire someone less haughty. He had seen the condescending look Maeda-san had given Yami when he tapped the book. A translator from the diplomat's office was clearly too ambitious and this man thought that this work was beneath him.

Seto strode over to the door and held it open. "Thank you for your time, Maeda-san."

Yami watched incredulously as his owner stood by the door and spoke Rahim's name. He rounded on the man viciously, feeling a giant rush of satisfaction and gratitude towards his owner, "You see, Rahim, it's my word against yours. And your words speak this language perfectly."

Seto bit the inside of his cheek, watching Yami berate the man, sounding incensed.

Rahim stood slowly and threw Yami the deepest look of contempt, walking towards the door, "You don't belong here. You're ungrateful and dirty, and you're probably here illegally. What's to stop me from blackmailing you?"

Seto watched the man turn to almost shout at Yami, shaking with hatred, and Miss Ao look slightly frightened. This man was dangerous.

"Get out." Seto said roughly, pointing at the door, resisting the urge to also shout at the translator. This man was wasting precious minutes and he was inciting Yami, deterring him from learning anything further. Seto was pretty sure he would have to put the lesson on hold after this fiasco.

"Forgive my rudeness," Maeda-san began, and Seto twitched, knowing the man was about to be rude, "But this boy is here illegally, is he not?"

"That's none of your business." Seto said stiffly, bracing himself for a blackmail threat. This man was a mistake! Did his secretary forget to complete the mandatory background check?!

"It could be my business." Maeda-san said cleverly, and Miss Ao gasped fearfully, covering her mouth in shock.

"Then prepare yourself." Seto spat, his rage rearing its ugly head. Now, he could see why Yami hated this man. "I will bury you alive with lawyers."

"You can do that," Maeda-san said angrily, turning to glare at Yami again, "but I will still have my career and you will be removed from head of your company, shamed, for housing an illegal."

"And I will still have money." Seto responded viciously, "so it won't matter to me either way. You're wasting my time. Leave."

Yami held his breath, watching the heated exchange between Rahim and his owner, seeing his owner grow steadily angrier.

 _Bad move, Rahim,_ Yami thought devilishly, _you made him angry._

Rahim threw one more look of contempt over his shoulder at Yami. "You're a disgusting, ungrateful street pig."

Seto heard a slew of curse words fly from Rahim's mouth and he froze.  
This man had _definitely_ started it.

"Rot in hell, you ugly bastard." Yami shot back, watching his owner's eyes widen considerably. "And pick your dignity up from the ground when you leave."

 _Okay, that's enough,_ Seto thought furiously, catching a glimpse of his secretary's face dipping forwards to peek into the room to see what the commotion was all about.

"Leave." Seto commanded roughly, watching Maeda-san sweep past him without making eye-contact and head straight for the elevators. His secretary leapt to her feet to accompany him down.

Seto sighed and shut the door with a _clack!,_ hearing it echo around in his office, feeling Yami's gaze burning into his back. Jesus, that was fucking rough.

He heard a hiccup behind him and he turned around just in time to see tears streaming down Yami's beautiful face. He still looked distraught, but seemed visibly relieved that the man had left.

"Oh…my." Miss Ao pressed a hand to her chest, also looking distressed. "That was…a fight. Were they fighting?"

"There was a misunderstanding." Seto said vaguely, turning to apologize to the teacher, "I think you should leave for today. We can try again tomorrow."

"He was very polite with me, and he's an enthusiastic learner," Miss Ao said earnestly, gathering her notes. "I will back tomorrow, Yami."

Yami quickly palmed the tears off his face, realizing that his owner was asking Miss. Ao to leave too.  
No! He could still learn the lesson! Didn't his owner say they had two hours? Well it had only been one! They had another full hour! That bastard Rahim had wasted twenty precious minutes of his time with the teacher.

Yami shook his head and patted the book insistently, nodding and pointing at the sentence, reading it quickly again, hiccupping slightly in his haste, " _I feel happy when my father takes us … to see the ocean …together."_

Miss Ao almost dropped her notebook in surprise, glancing excitedly at Kaiba, "Look at that! He wants to continue!"

Seto felt his chest tightening strangely as he stared at Yami, who looked defiantly back at him, tapping the book again. Well at least the boy wasn't lazy.

"If he can do it, please continue." Seto said carefully, nodding at the teacher.

Miss Ao walked back to the table and sat down carefully, smiling warmly at Yami, "Okay, we'll start on the previous chapter if these are too difficult." And she flipped the book back several pages.

Yami felt his tears drying across his cheeks and he took several deep breaths, calming himself down fully. He could do this properly now that that disgusting man wasn't sitting beside him.

He felt his owner walk back to his desk and resume typing.  
The clicking of the keys was comforting, and Yami found that his focus was back.  
Shouting at that man in his own language and watching his owner throw him out had been refreshing, like a cold drink of water.  
It had cleared his mind.

Miss Ao was kind and understanding, waiting for him while he used his dictionary, and they made slow but steady progress through the chapter.

The hour was over too quickly and Miss Ao shut her book lightly after making a mark on the page with a bright pink tab, speaking to him happily, "Very good! I will be back tomorrow! We can make great progress like this!"

Seto lifted his head up and glanced at the time, feeling oddly grateful that she had extended their lesson time and ran fifteen minutes over, making up for the lost time with that idiot, Maeda. He was going to look that man up and call around to give him hell.

"Thank you very much." Seto enunciated, standing fluidly and walking to the door, watching her bow politely and smile warmly.

"He's very engaging." She said quickly, giving Yami a small wave, "And very methodical."

Seto blinked, his heart skipping a beat, "Methodical?"

Miss Ao laughed lightly and brushed past him, nodding and waving at the secretary, "Oh, he's just very…smart. I enjoyed my time with him very much. Thank you Mr. Kaiba!" And she walked off towards his secretary.  
Seto watched the two women stand by the elevators, gossiping happily as they waited for the doors to open.

He shut the door quietly and turned to look at Yami, who was wearing a satisfied smile on his face, marking a page in his dictionary. He seemed to have a lot of energy left.

 _My turn_ , Seto thought darkly, moving to his desk to yank a sheet of paper out from his desk, quickly jotting down a few sentences. He could feel Yami watching him closely and he picked the paper up, walking towards him, handing it to him.

He pointed at the paper, the dictionary, and then the TV.  
_Translate this, and you get to watch TV._

Yami nodded eagerly, understanding immediately.  
He snatched the paper out from his owner's hands and sat down at the table, flipping open his dictionary, his owner's thin handwriting burning into his vision.

Seto nodded, satisfied, he sat back down at his desk to resume checking and reading reports.

Yami eyed the characters on the paper, recognizing a few phrases already, but he held himself back from reading it, resolving to translate it fully, starting from the beginning of the sentence.  
His owner was testing him.  
And he would show that the lesson was not wasted on him.  
Perhaps if he did well, he could see Miss. Ao every day.  
And he could learn this language faster than any other human on earth.

After a long while, Yami finished reading and translating the entire paragraph of text his owner had written, and he read it over again slowly, enjoying the full effect of what his owner was saying to him.

 _"_ _Tell me what that man said to you, exactly, word for word.  
I also want to know what you said to him._

_Write it out for me, in your language and don't lie, because I have ears, and I heard that man curse at you and I heard you call him dirty names in return._

_After you've finished this, you may watch the television as much as you want.  
You've earned it._

_Miss Ao was very pleased with your work."_

_I've earned it!_ Yami thought happily, rising excitedly out of his seat and sitting back down when he realized he hadn't written out his reply.

He picked up the pen again and chose his words carefully, making sure to use simple phrases. He knew his owner would be translating this back into his own language, using the other dictionary. This was exciting! Would they be exchanging letters like this often?!

Finished, Yami admired the paragraph he had written in response. He had made sure to write neatly and as beautifully as he could. This would make matching the words into the dictionary easier.  
Yami nodded, feeling satisfied.  
He folded the letter and rushed over to his owner's desk, handing him the paper.

Seto looked up from his screen, feeling his spirits rise. This was good! He quickly glanced at the contents of the letter, noting that Yami's handwriting in Arabic was also very neat.  
This was a good trait.  
He appreciated this.

He slid his hand into this desk drawer and pulled out the remote, handing it to Yami, watching his face light up wonderfully as he flashed him a pretty smile, his teeth very white against his olive-colored skin.

Seto nodded, watching Yami throw himself down onto the couch and tap the buttons excitedly. This was great. Watching TV in Japanese would help drill the language into his brain. In fact, he should probably dig out the remote to the TV in his bedroom, maybe install a TV in the boy's room as well….

Yami tapped around on the remote, unable to contain his excitement. Faces flashed across the screen, news casters, celebrities, commercials, people in funny costumes…it was all entertaining and new.

Yami paused at a channel where two women were sitting next to each other in a blank room, pointing at their eyes and noses. The screen cut to a product with liquid, and the women began applying it to their faces.

 _Cosmetics!_ Yami realized happily, watching the screen cut back to the two women again, now holding up pencil liners. Deeply intrigued, Yami continued to watch, a strange feeling curling in his chest.  
These women looked like every-day women.  
They didn't look like models or celebrities.

Seto stood up from his desk and closed his laptop with a click.  
He needed to attend a meeting. Yami seemed preoccupied with the TV. He should probably have his secretary come in to keep him company, just in case.

Yami watched his owner leave the room without looking at him once.

"S-Seto?" Yami called, watching the door swing shut behind his owner. Disgruntled, Yami turned back to the television, watching the two women apply dark paint to their eyebrows.

Suddenly, the pretty lady from the front appeared in the doorway, calling his name in a singsong voice, gracefully sitting down beside him on the couch, speaking quickly, looking up at the TV and sounding excited.

Yami blinked and nodded, feeling his heart pound nervously in his chest.  
His owner's girlfriend! What did she want…?  
Did she come in here knowing his owner had left?  
Did she want to watch the TV with him as well?

The women on the screen were now applying liner around their eyes and his owner's girlfriend nodded enthusiastically, agreeing with the women on the TV. They moved to applying lipstick and his owner's girlfriend leapt to her feet, saying something to him and leaving the room quickly.  
Confused, Yami watched return with her handbag, which was also simple and white, with a tiny bow on the front.

She rummaged around in it and pulled out the same exact lipstick that was on the screen, pointing at it and talking excitedly. She also pulled out a small make-up bag, lifting out two eyeline sticks that were shown on the TV.

Deeply curious, Yami nodded politely, not understanding a word she was saying.  
Too quick. Everyone spoke too quickly. Were these cosmetics popular? They seemed to be, if his owner's girlfriend carried them in her purse as well.

The show cut to a commercial and Yami watched as his owner's girlfriend continued to speak, drawing the lipstick across the back of her hand, and Yami couldn't help but notice that the color looked very pretty on her pale skin.

She reached for his hand and Yami shook his head politely.  
No thank you. Not interested.

She nodded and neatly emptied the contents of her makeup bag onto the low table in front of them, and Yami's eyes widened.

There were many different colored sticks, compacts, cotton-tipped sticks, and odd metal tools.

Now, maybe, he was slightly interested.  
Women were strange creatures.

His owner's girlfriend looked entertained by his reaction, pointing at several of the colored sticks and drawing them across the back of her hand. Yami glanced up briefly at the TV, noticing that the show hadn't come back on yet.

Yami watched with increasing interest as she flipped open a compact and began primping, lightly blushing her cheeks and lips with color. He stared at her features, unable to help himself. She got prettier and prettier the longer he looked at her.  
She had very nice skin, thin almond shaped eyes and very shiny, straight black hair.

 _Unfair_ , Yami thought forlornly, glancing at the door, wondering where his owner went.

His owner's girlfriend was unwrapping a fresh stick of black liner, pointing at her eye, and then pointing at his eye.

Yami blinked rapidly, leaning away from her slightly, feeling very nervous. No….no thank you.

Yes, yes! She was nodding and speaking quickly again, and he heard his owner's name fall from her lips, "… Mr. Kaiba…."

Yami shook his head and she smiled playfully at him, nodding again, as if to say, "Yes, come on now! It's fun!"

Yami blinked and smiled nervously, shaking his head. Please, no.

She looked crestfallen and nodded, capping the stick and began gathering her cosmetics back into the bag. Yami watched her hands move, staring at the pink bows painted on her nails.  
The women in this country all looked so dainty.  
He couldn't compete.  
Unless she was trying to say, that his owner would be happy to see him wearing cosmetics. Was she saying that?

Yami grit his teeth and clenched his fists at his sides.  
Fine.  
What was the worst thing that could happen anyway?  
His owner had not yet beaten him, or raped him.  
If anything, looking pretty around his owner might make life a lot easier.

"Wait..!" Yami said, watching her place the stick back into the pouch.

She turned to give him a bright smile, tilting her head questioningly.

Yami racked his brain for a phrase he had learned in his lesson, "I-I like it."

She brightened up considerably and nodded, picking up a compact mirror and pointing at her eye, "You…like it?"

Yes! Yami understood what she had said and he nodded.

She laughed her tinkling laugh and gestured for him to sit closer. She even reached forwards to angle his knees towards her. Yami felt his stomach flutter nervously when she touched him.

She handed him a compact with a mirror and Yami gripped it tightly, staring at his own reflection in the small round circle. Was this really okay?

He didn't have time to change his mind. His owner's girlfriend reached out and gently rested her pinky finger on his cheekbone and Yami felt light strokes touching his eyelid.

She pointed up to the ceiling and Yami looked up, feeling her drag the tip of the liner underneath the curve of his eye, and he blinked. She leaned back and smiled brightly. Done.

Yami nodded nervously and she patted his hand which held the compact. Take a look.

Yami did, peering into the small circular mirror, receiving a slight shock. One of his eyes looked noticeably larger, more angular, and the color of his pupils stood out boldly against his dark skin. Yami swallowed tightly and blinked, his heart fluttering in his chest.  
A-Amazing! Would she teach him how to do this himself?

His owner's girlfriend pointed at her other eye, nodding, and Yami held very still, allowing her to rest her pinky across his other cheekbone and drag the tip of the liner across the top of his lids.

Yami felt her tap his arm and he opened his eyes, watching her say something to him, sounding very satisfied. He glanced down into the compact mirror again, slowly turning his head from left to right, admiring the way the black line hugged his eyes.

 _I look… intimidating._ Yami thought, feeling satisfied. This wasn't too bad at all!

She pointed at the lipstick excitedly again and Yami shook his head, feeling his chest tighten nervously.

Suddenly, the door clicked and his owner stepped into the room, looking worn out.

Yami watched his owner's girlfriend jump to her feet, sounding excited, bowing again.

"Mr. Kaiba, how was your meeting?" His secretary asked, ducking her head down politely.

Seto blinked, taking in the strange scene before him. She had her handbag leaning against the couch, with several makeup compacts neatly laid out on the coffee table in front of Yami's knees.

He took one look at Yami's face and almost dropped his laptop on his toes.

Yami was staring at him with a strange expression on his face as usual, his eyes were lined with black liner, accentuating his dark violet pupils so much that he looked eerie.  
Eerily beautiful.

"It went well." Kaiba lied, sweeping past her and setting his laptop down on his desk, feeling exhausted.

"We had a lot of fun together." She added, nodding at Yami, whose cheeks reddened again. Seto blinked tiredly, watching Yami stare at his secretary. "And I'm leaving a bit early today, I hope you won't mind!"

Seto nodded, not caring.

Yami watched her pick up her handbag and the cosmetics, smiling at him brightly, pressing the stick of black liner into his palm and bowing politely. What?

Yami gripped the black liner, feeling his heart swell. Was this a gift?

Seto watched with increasing trepidation as his secretary touched Yami's hands casually before looping her bag over her shoulder and walked out of the office, her heels echoing loudly down the hallway.

There was a long silence as Yami stared at his owner, who again, pointedly ignored him, slipping his thin, silver laptop into a metal case. It was getting late and the sun was setting in the sky. Yami could see the sky growing steadily pink and orange as the sun dipped low along the horizon; bright flaming flecks reflected up from the city beneath them.

Yami held his breath, wondering if he could stand by the window to watch the sunset without bothering his owner.

He stood up and quickly pocketed the black liner, making sure to tap the off button on the remote. He walked towards the desk, watching his owner swipe around on his phone, still ignoring him.  
His owner hadn't noticed the black liner.

Sighing tightly and trying not to feel disappointed, Yami moved towards the window, feeling his breath leave his body as he gazed out across the city. Breathtaking!

He could see people crossing the street in droves, looking like strange groups of ants, moving neatly together in a line.

He could see cars, slowly whizzing by on highways and low roads.  
He could see brightly-lit neon signs and tiny bicycles parked along the sides of the streets. Amazing! Beautiful!

Yami itched to walk on the sidewalks below, unaware that he was almost pressed up against the glass.

Seto swallowed dryly, watching Yami stare down into Domino City, looking excited and awe-struck. It wasn't that special, was it?

He couldn't help but stare at Yami's face, noticing how the liner made his eyes look sharper. Did the boy enjoy playing with make-up? He even had the mannerisms of a girl…how odd.

Something possessed him to reach out to lightly grab Yami by the chin, turning his face towards him. Seto blinked and stared into Yami's delicate face, his heart steadily pounding louder in his ears as the sun cast a warm, orange glow across Yami's wonderfully tanned skin. How the fuck…was he so damn pretty…?

Yami felt his breath hitch painfully in his throat as his owner touched his face and turned him around to face him.

 _He noticed!_ Yami thought happily, swallowed tightly and he blinked twice, feeling his body grow numb as he stared up into his owner's handsome face. His owner was wearing a strange expression, his cheekbones looked unusually sharp underneath the setting orange sun, and his usually clear blue eyes were dark.

 _What is he thinking?_ Yami wondered, feeling his head spin, as his owner continued to gaze into his eyes. Did his owner want...to kiss?

Yami opened his mouth to speak, "Ki-…."

Seto saw Yami's lips move and he acted instinctively, leaning down to kiss him, lightly at first, and then deeply, feeling Yami stiffen almost immediately and relax, sighing contentedly.

Yami felt his eyelids grow heavy the moment his owner's mouth pressed onto his lips, moving gently, his owner's tongue flicking out playfully to lick the fronts of his teeth. Oh…oh that was a heavenly feeling!  
Yami felt his stomach clench as he jutted up higher on his toes, tasting the sweetness of his owner on the tip of his tongue.

Suddenly, strong arms came down around him and held him tightly, lifting him high up off his feet. Yami gasped into the kiss, feeling like he was flying for moment when he was picked up, and his owner pressed their bodies together tightly.

His owner thrust his tongue repeatedly into his mouth and Yami parted his lips wider, throwing his arms around his owner's neck, pulling him closer, his chest fluttering as the tips of their tongues met and swirled around each other in a happy greeting.

Seto felt Yami bite lightly across his bottom lip and his pants grew uncomfortably tight. Did this boy want to fuck on his desk? Because wasn't something he was willing to do. He didn't have the energy for that right now.

Yami gasped when he felt his owner pull back to stare deeply into his eyes. No…! Yami blinked frantically. Why had they stopped? It felt good! Yami shook his head and tightened his grip around his owner's shoulders, pressing their foreheads tightly together, feeling their hair mesh together messily as their noses bumped. Continue!

Seto frowned, his mind buzzing pleasantly, watching Yami shake his head. What...? What was that supposed to mean?  
Seto kissed Yami lightly again and pulled away, feeling his erection throb excitedly.

If he remembered correctly, this boy owed him a blow job.

Yami watched with increasing confusion as his owner leaned away from him and set him down on his feet. Dizzy, Yami felt his knees buckle almost instantly. He slid down onto the floor, his knees hitting the carpeted floor painfully just as his nose bumped clumsily forwards, right onto his owner's bulge.

Yami's eyes widened as he stared at his owner's slender hands patting the side of his bulge. Yami looked up into his owner's face fearfully, his mouth going dry. Oh. That's right. They had been interrupted by Mokuba the last time his owner wanted him to use his mouth….

Seto nodded gleefully, moving to lean his back against his desk, watching the boy's eyes widen as he stared at his erection. Yes. Suck me off.

Yami stared at the large metal buckle on his owner's belt, the reflection coming from the setting sun behind him almost blinded him as his owner unhooked the buckle and inched his pants down lower across his hips.

Yami flattened his palm and passed his hand across his owner's center, feeling the stiff curve push back into his hand and he shivered. It looked…big, and felt big! Even under his clothes!

Seto was getting impatient. He grabbed Yami's hand and pressed it firmly into his crotch, feeling a bubble of laugher threaten to spill out as Yami's face reddened immediately. Fucking cute.

Yami unhooked the button with trembling fingers and tugged the zipper down, staring at the outline of his owner's penis pressed against his underwear. Well…it felt and looked big because….it was big.

 _I'm doomed!_ Yami thought frantically, watching his owner free his erection from his pants and the length was startling.

"Lick." Seto said, biting his tongue to keep himself from bucking his hips forwards, forgetting for a moment that Yami couldn't understand him.

Yami heard his owner speak in a commanding tone and he nodded, his chest tightening with a mixture of fear and excitement as he tentatively parted his lips and pressed the head of his owner's penis into his mouth.

It was…hot, and Yami found that his owner's scent was the most powerful, down here. He felt his owner stiffen excitedly and tense. Yami shut his eyes and bravely shoved his head down along his owner's length, feeling himself tremble with effort. He could feel his jaw stretching almost painfully and his owner slid out of his mouth, slowly, so much that Yami felt the tip graze along his lower teeth.

Seto felt Yami's mouth close over his tip and he shut his eyes and felt himself heat up instantly. Fuck.  
He felt Yami give him a tentative lick and dip his head down across his dick, dragging his lips across his tip lightly. Everything was done lightly. Seto clenched his fists and gripped the edge of his desk for support, staring out into the view from the window, suddenly wishing that Yami could read his mind.  
Could he suck harder for fuck's sake?

Yami heard his owner hiss in frustration and a hand came down to grab a fistful of his hair and he braced himself to be shoved down across his owner's shaft.  
He shut his eyes tightly, but nothing happened. His owner was shaking and trembling, his hand still gripping his hair tightly, speaking in a low tone, sounding rushed.

Seto's resolve was slipping, his fingers stiffening in Yami's hair as he felt himself lose what little was left of his self-control, "Fuck, just…do it harder. Please. God." And he tightened his grip in Yami's hair, wondering why Yami was being so timid when he was usually so bold.

 _I'll do it, I'll do it!_ Yami thought desperately, angling his head to the side and taking his owner's dick into his mouth again, letting out a soft huff of air when he felt his owner tense again. Did that feel good? Yami did it again, running his tongue along the base of his owner's shaft, feeling his stomach curl strangely.

Yami gave his owner a long, hard suck, remembering how his owner had done it to him yesterday, swirling his tongue across the tip of his owner's penis, leaning his head back to stare at the wetness he had made with his own mouth.

Satisfied, Yami dipped his head back down to suck again, licking his owner's tip, pressing his tongue deep into the slit at the top, tasting a thick, bittersweet fluid that leaked out from it. Then, Yami ducked his head forwards so much he felt the tip hit the back of his throat.

Yami felt his eyes watering slightly as his mouth stretched around his owner's length, but he found that this was actually quite enjoyable. His owner tasted sweet here too! And his owner's musk was heavy and arousing.

Seto grit his teeth as he felt the room spin and the floor dipped violently beneath his feet as Yami sucked him hard, bringing his head back to lick his tip and then sucking him again thickly. Damn, it felt entirely different from when a girl was sucking him off. For one, Yami's mouth was slightly larger, and he seemed to be able to fit more of his length inside his mouth with ease.

He glanced down and enjoyed the way the tips of Yami's fiery hair burned orange in the setting sun.  
He then looked out into the view of the city, feeling heat curl up inside his chest as Yami rammed his hot, dense mouth harder down onto his dick. The room dipped again and Seto gripped Yami's hair tightly, feeling an orgasm coming on.  
Fuck. This felt amazing. Yami was going to make him cum too quickly.

Yami felt the hand in his hair tightening again, a finger was tapping against his head rhythmically. Faster.

Holding his breath, Yami raised his hands and pressed them into his owner's thighs, feeling his owner push back into him powerfully, and then suddenly, his owner's penis was thrusting into his mouth, fast and hard. Yami felt his throat constrict and he blinked frantically, his tongue growing numb as he felt the ridges of his owner's dick slide over it again and again, a bittersweet fluid was sliding thickly across the roof of his mouth and Yami tensed, feeling his own dick throb as his owner's scent engulfed him fully.  
Too….much! Too fast…too much everything!

Seto felt a strong wave of pleasure rise up inside him as he thrust powerfully into Yami's tight mouth, feeling Yami shudder and bob his head obediently. Holy fuck…this boy was actually letting him do whatever he wanted. Well, then, he wasn't going to hold back. He gripped Yami's hair tightly and shoved himself as deep as he could go, feeling Yami shiver and press his hands against his thighs, bracing himself.

Seto blinked once and felt his breathing grow shallow as he repeatedly thrust into Yami's mouth, watching his length slide thickly across his supple lips and disappear, only to reappear, slick and wet with his saliva. God…this felt fucking amazing. He didn't have to delicate or accommodating because Yami was strong enough to take it. This felt raw and passionate. Real.

Yami felt his owner reach a hand down to palm the side of his face, the other hand staying in his hair and his owner thrust his hips forwards, his shaft hitting the top of his throat tightly, and Yami's vision began blurring.

His owner's musk smelled good….and his light fluids on the tip of his dick tasted good, but his lips were going numb from the thrusting! He couldn't take it anymore!  
Suddenly, his owner's fluids rushed into his mouth, spilling down his throat so quickly Yami barely had time to think before he swallowed a large mouthful of it, his throat burning, his eyes stinging.  
His owner's….essence…! It tasted...bitter!

Seto felt his vision fading into white as he came thickly into Yami's mouth, giving him a few more solid thrusts before pushing Yami's head away gently, staring down into his beautiful face. He saw a stream of his cum drip down Yami's chin and his stomach twisted with arousal. Fuck.

Seto quickly brought a hand up to wipe the fluids off from Yami's chin, watching the boy sit back on his heels and stare at him, blinking his angular eyes, looking dazed.

"Did you like that?" Seto asked, smiling in spite of himself, feeling his semen drying across his dick which looked very pink, having been sucked red and raw.

Yami felt lightheaded and dizzy, his owner's essence was still lingering in his mouth and he licked his lips slowly, realizing that it only tasted sweet at the end. The initial taste was bitter. His lips were stinging and swelling and they itched. He felt his owner touch his chin and speak. Yami understood one word, " _….like.."_

 _Good!_ Yami thought happily, his heart swelling with pride. _He had done well! His owner had liked it!_

He gazed up at his owner, his lips still itching. Did his owner want to kiss again?

Seto watched Yami sway slightly and lick his lips, blinking his beautiful violet eyes, looking pleased.

"Yeah? You liked that?" Seto said roughly, wondering why Yami wasn't nodding or shaking his head like usual. He didn't understand.

Again, Yami caught the word " _like_ " coming from his owner's mouth, and he nodded. Yes.

Was his owner was asking him if he liked it? Because he did. It felt good.  
He might consider doing it again…even if there wasn't a reward involved.  
Maybe a kiss?

Seto shuffled his belt back around his waist, watching Yami stare adorably up at him, his lips wet with semen and saliva, speaking softly, "Kiss."

Seto froze, his hands frozen in mid-clasp across his metal buckle. S-Seriously?!

He watched Yami rise to his feet unsteadily and move towards him.

Okay, fine, fine. Seto thought hastily, leaning forwards to press his lips across Yami's wet mouth, his chest tightening strangely as he tasted himself on Yami's tongue.  
So fucking erotic. On any other occasion, he would refuse, but Seto found that refusing Yami was becoming more and more difficult.

Yami felt his mind hum and shut off pleasantly as his owner kissed him gently, his lips were warm and comforting and the tip of his tongue grazed along the roof of his mouth. The feeling tickled and Yami smiled, letting out a light laugh as his owner straightened up to give him a strange look.

"I like it." Yami said, the syllables coming off his tongue easily. He had said it earlier to his owner's girlfriend. It was getting easier to speak the language in short phrases.

Seto felt his heart skip a beat and he stared at Yami, who looked very pleased.

"I got it." Seto responded gruffly, smoothly tucking his shirt in, feeling his face heat up instantly. Damn, this boy was alluring and dangerous. Any casual touching always led to sex, somehow, and that thought was disturbing.

He glanced at Yami who was staring out the windows at the darkening sky, licking his lips absently. Oh, fuck, did the boy want to clean his mouth?

Seto reached down into one of his deeper desk drawers and slid it open, pulling out a fresh bottle of sparkling water. He gave Yami a soft nudge with the base of the bottle, "Here, drink this. I probably taste like shit."

Yami turned to stare his owner who handed him a bottle of water. No, it was the water that tasted bubbly! Yami grabbed it excitedly, his spirits soaring.  
This was a good day indeed. His owner was rewarding him left and right!

"Thank you!" Yami exclaimed happily, carefully cracking it open and holding it an arm's length, waiting for it to explode. It didn't. It just hissed and the bubbles at the top stayed still. Thank goodness.

Seto blinked and nodded, hearing foreign syllables again, and he thought he recognized it, having heard it several times already. Did Yami just say "thank you?"

Yami sipped the drink, thankful that the bubbling taste seemed to cleanse his mouth and throat. His owner was consistent in his actions, and Yami appreciated that.

 _I will sleep well tonight_ , Yami thought warmly, watching his owner gather his books off the table. He followed his owner out the door and into the glass lift, watching his owner press a slender knuckle against the panel of buttons. The lift traveled downwards and Yami sipped his drink again, staring at the large metal tubes surrounding them.

 _I pleased him well today, so, he will leave me alone for the rest of the evening,_ thought Yami, feeling immensely satisfied. He had a successful day.  
He woken up with the golden bands on his arms.  
He had learned new words and phrases from the teacher, and he had learned how to look pretty.

Now all he had left to do was to secure Mokuba's friendship.

 _Perhaps we could escape together_ , Yami thought hopefully _, it might be useful to have someone by my side who is fluent in Japanese_.

He dutifully followed his owner into the long black car which was waiting at the side of the street. Yami slid across the cool black seats, watching his owner cross his long arms and legs, looking right through him.

The car began to roll forwards and Yami gripped his drink tightly, gazing out into the darkening sky, wondering how he could deliver his letter to Mokuba without his owner's knowledge. Hiding things was difficult. Even though the house was large, servants and maids were everywhere.

Yami stared at his owner, watching him nod off in the seat across from him and he realized with a jolt that he hadn't learned anything about what his owner did for a living! He had been preoccupied with learning the language, the TV, and the cosmetics with his owner's girlfriend.

 _I'll find out, somehow_. Yami thought darkly, watching the car pass the spiky black gate and stop right by the bubbling fountain.

They had arrived back at the large house and his owner was still asleep. Yami wondered if he ought to wake him.

Suddenly, the door clicked open and Mokuba's voice floated into the car, "Seto!"

His owner lifted his head slowly, looking extremely tired, "Mokuba."

Yami watched his owner rise and exit the car, catching another envious glare from Mokuba as their owner picked him up and hugged him tightly.

 _Stop that!_ Yami thought, glaring back at the young boy, watching him make a face at him from over their owner's shoulder. _He likes you better, and you know that!_

Seto carried Mokuba up the steps of the house, hearing Yami's footsteps follow closely behind him.

"Why did he get to go with you to work today?" Mokuba asked, his grip tightening around his neck. "I wanna come too!"

"I had to watch how he behaved with Miss Ao." Seto responded heavily, watching Yami perk his head up suddenly.

Yami heard his owner say the teacher's name in response to Mokuba's whines.

"Miss Ao?" Mokuba wrinkled his nose, "She teaches babies."

"If you're learning our language for the first time, you'd have to learn how to speak like a baby." Seto said patiently, setting his younger brother down on his feet by the doorway of the kitchen. "I'm very tired Mokuba. I'm going straight to bed."

"Oh…okay." Mokuba said, looking disappointed. "Can I eat breakfast with you tomorrow?"

Yami watched his owner set Mokuba down and Mokuba looked crestfallen. Was Mokuba asking to see Miss Ao too? Maybe he could give the letter to Mokuba now, while they were facing each other. How could he do that when their owner was standing right there?!

Seto nodded and made his way up the grand staircase, noticing that Yami was still standing awkwardly in front of Mokuba, looking as if he was trying to say something. He suddenly remembered the letter Yami had written and he wondered how receptive Mokuba would be.

One way to find out.

"Mokuba." Seto called, leaning against the railing and looking down at his younger brother, "How would you feel if the foreigner wrote you a letter asking to be your friend?"

Mokuba blinked and turned to give Yami an uncertain look, folding his arms across his chest defensively, "Why would I want that?"

"I'm asking how you would feel, not what you want." Seto said impatiently, watching Yami stare up at him curiously, his eyes getting wider and wider.

"I would feel…like that's stupid." Mokuba huffed, glaring at Yami again, and Seto watched Yami's expression turn sorrowful almost instantly.

"Stop glaring at him. He thinks you hate him." Seto said, watching Yami lift his head up to stare at him again.

"I do hate him." Mokuba said staunchly, "He's weird. And he looks at me all the time too!"

"Okay, that's enough." Seto said hastily, realizing that this was a bad time to have this conversation. "Yami, go back to your room." And he turned to walk back into his own room, slamming the door loudly.

Yami stood very still, swaying on the spot as he watched Mokuba also turn and stomp off into another part of the house. He was alone for the first time all day. He had heard his owner call his name and slam his door.

Was that an order to go back upstairs? Or could he explore the house now? What was the punishment for disobeying?

Yami turned around to stare at the different hallways leading into different parts of the house, wondering where he should start. Would he get lost?

He heard a slight cough behind him and Yami jumped, whirling around to see the manservant standing behind him, pointing sternly at the stairway. Oh.

Yami nodded stiffly and trudged up the stairs, feeling extremely disappointed. He entered his room and the lights flickered on, hearing the manservant close the door behind him, locking it with a firm click.

 _I missed my chance,_ Yami thought darkly, staring around at his large room, noticing that everything was right where he'd left it. The only difference being, the white panels against the walls were slid open slightly. Yami rushed towards it and opened the doors, gasping as he saw his new clothes all freshly laundered and neatly hung.

Biting the inside of his cheek, Yami noticed his books and dictionary were missing.  
His owner still had them!

Dashing over to the door connecting to his owner's room, he twisted the handle. It was locked. Cursing under his breath, Yami knocked loudly, waiting for a response. Nothing.

 _My books!_ Yami thought desperately, his mind racing for a solution.

On the other side of the door, Isono jumped when he heard the rough rattling and knocking coming from the door connecting to the guest room. He gripped the lab results tightly, setting it down on Kaiba's desk, listening to the water running in the bathroom.

Mr. Kaiba was right to keep that door locked.

In the bathroom, Seto stepped out of the shower, feeling slightly rejuvenated. He pulled on a set of comfortable lounge wear and stretched lightly.  
A sheet of paper sitting on his desk caught his eye.  
Another letter from Yami?

His heart racing, Seto draped his towel across his shoulders and picked it up, realizing it was the lab results he had ordered on Yami's clothes.

He scanned the sheet, his blood running cold as he read through the report, his head spinning terribly.

Urine, fecal matter, bodily fluids and a whole host of disgusting contagions.

He sat down heavily in his chair, pushing the sheet away from him, feeling nauseous. Where was the boy kept?! How was it possible for a place to be that filthy? Had his captors urinated on him as a punishment?! Jesus.

Seto palmed his face, taking deep breaths, a bubble of fear rising up in his chest. What the fuck was he doing, having sex with this stranger?!  
Research.  
He had to find out where the fuck Yami came from.

He slipped his laptop out from his briefcase and set it down in front of him, his eyes burning strangely. He flipped it open and the letter Yami had written for him earlier fell into his lap. Deciding to translate it later, he set it aside.

Seto accessed his browser, the brightness of the screen hurting his eyes as his hands hovered over the keys, unsure of where to start. He leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes, rubbing his temples painfully.

Suddenly, a thought hit him.  
The numbers across Yami's wrist.

Racking his brain, Seto managed to recall the string of numbers and he typed it in, pulling up a separate screen to run an algorithm that would search it for him while he browsed on the side.

 ** _"_** ** _65-832_** _"_ yielded no results.

Seto scrolled through restaurants address locations, clothing companies, bar codes, warehouse storage containers…nothing promising.

Cursing under his breath, Seto added a few keywords into his algorithm, giving up the manual search completely, " _…Human trafficking… tattoo…._ 65-832. _"_

Seto shut his eyes and waited, watching his algorithm run through the web pages, flashing and blinking as it completed its search. He scrolled through results for help-lines for reporting trafficking and abuse, tattoo parlors, tattoo removal, and phone numbers.

 _Wow_ , Seto thought tiredly, blinking heavily as the words began to blur across his screen. This was going to be harder than he thought.

He tapped the edge of his computer slowly, staring at the set of numbers, slowly typing in "65-831" and he hit search, watching his screen blink and refresh with the same search results. Nothing.

"65-830" and he hit search.  
The screen blinked and refreshed.  
Nothing.

"65-829" …. nothing.

"65-828"… nothing.

"65-827" … nothing.

Sighing in frustration, Seto decided to go as low as 10.

"65-810"…nothing.

Fuck! Holy shit! Was he guessing wrong? His estimates were usually accurate!

Typing in "65-799", Seto cursed at it before hitting search, watching his screen blink and refresh with different results, this time, in English.

Seto stared at the results. They looked like news articles and blog entries.  
Well shit. His English was rusty.

One title caught his eye and he could barely read it, his exhaustion was keeping him from properly understanding anything.

" _My journey….as …65-799 - Finding Myself Again"_.

What the hell?

Seto hit translate and watched the page refresh again.  
It made even less sense than before.

He would have to read it in English, goddammit! Why was everything so fucking hard?

Or was he just that tired?

He stared at the lab results lying face down on his desk and felt an odd rush of motivation. He could do this. It was just English. He could take his time.

He clicked on the link and screamed internally as solid paragraphs of text appeared on his screen.  
Blog entries.  
With no pictures.  
Just never-ending blocks and blocks of text.  
He kept scrolling down, wondering if he could have his algorithm translate it for him. Worth a shot, but it wasn't the most accurate thing in the world.  
Some things would be lost in translation.

There was no way around it.  
He would have to read it himself.

 _Fuck me._ Seto thought angrily, pulling up a blank document on his laptop and slipping out a sheet of paper from his desk. This had better be fucking worth it.

He clicked around on the blog, going through the archive and finding the very first post with ease. It was another huge block of text.

Sighing, he bent his head down and started at the top with the very first sentence, reading it carefully and typing out the longer, difficult words in the blank document.

He ignored the content and just focused on the words.  
His goal was to read it all at once later. It would make more sense that way.

He continued like this into the night, pausing to jot down notes onto the sheet of paper in Japanese, translating the difficult words in the blank document on his screen, typing out a full summary in Japanese in a third document for good measure.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Gee. i wonder. what Seto. is gonna find. when he reads. those . blog entries. hmmmmm? :)

Big hugs to editor ANIMANIAC1017 for pulling through in the clutch, especially during the holidays ^0^

Leave me a comment! I wanna hear your thoughts as usual!

Warm wishes to all,

Ugli


	10. trapped in the darkness

Seto leaned back into his chair, stretching slightly as he watched the room grow steadily brighter. The sun was rising. Fuck. He had lost track of time.

He glanced down at the small stack of paper he had used, feeling satisfied.

He had gone through three full blog entries, and it was fucking brutal. There were words like "fuck" and "shit" everywhere.  
And without context, he wasn't sure if the author was cursing, or if they were talking about actual fucking and shitting.

Sighing, he stood up from his desk and walked into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. He blinked, feeling the water drip down his nose as he grabbed a towel and patted his face dry. Maybe he could go check on Yami for a bit before reading the entries, because goddamn, his eyes needed a fucking break.

Seto pulled the connecting door open and almost had a heart attack.

Yami was slumped over on the floor, fast asleep, leaning forwards against the wall. His spiky blonde bangs obscured his face as his chest rose and fell softly.

Seto froze, his confusion rising higher as he glanced around the room, noticing that the bed looked untouched. Did Yami intentionally fall asleep on the floor, right by this door?! Why?! Was he waiting for it to open? Jesus Christ!  
There was a bed for god's sake!

Gritting his teeth, Seto gently lifted Yami up off the floor and took a few steps forwards, changing his mind and walking back into his own room. He slid Yami beneath the comforter and patted the covers down around Yami's chin, noticing that his skin felt cold.

He shut the connecting door and strode over to his desk, sliding a thumb across his phone to digitally adjust the temperature of the room. He heard the soft hum of the heating fan switch on and he sat back down behind his desk, checking the time.

4:35AM.

He had to be at the office in an hour.  
Fuck it.

Taking a deep breath, Seto leaned forwards and began reading his translation of the blog entries:

 _"_ _I was given a second chance. I can tell my story because I survived and my sisters did not._

 _I survived, mainly because I was prettier._  
_I survived because I was smarter and I learned how to take advantage of my surroundings._

_Thank you (omitted name) for giving me a voice, so that I could be heard.  
Thank you for giving me an education, because now I can tell my story. _

_I started this blog as a therapeutic exercise to cope with negative emotions and night terrors._

_I learned that the number tattooed on my wrist was not special._

_My older sisters were numbers 97 and 98. I was the youngest, so I was inked l_ ast.

_I don't remember receiving my ink. Our mother had left us alone while she went to pick up supper and all I remember is being snatched off the street while my sisters and I were playing together._

_Bags were tied over our heads and we were punched, kicked, or choked anytime we made noise. We rode in the car for so long, it felt like two whole days. Then, I felt one of the men rolling up my shirt sleeve and something stung me in the middle of my forearm._

_I woke up in a disgusting room with other young girls, and my sisters were nowhere to be seen. We had been separated. At the time, I didn't know where I was._

_They would starve us, so much that I would drink water to fool myself into thinking I was full."_

Seto stopped reading and he pressed his palms into his eyes, feeling his shoulders grow heavy. Wow. This was…hard to read.

He skipped a few lines, feeling a headache coming on as he continued reading:

" _He would take turns with us. The worst was when he would come into my room at night while I was sleeping. I would wake up with him on top of me, grunting and spreading my legs. I would scream and cry, and my sisters would even offer to take my place, but he would beat them and lock them away in another room._

_If I struggled even more, he would drug me with a needle in my arm._

_After a while, I learned to stop struggling and just accept it when he came to me._

_I also learned to stop sleeping when our owner was in the house._ "

Seto paused after that sentence, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Did she just write the word "owner"?

He shivered involuntarily and continued reading, barreling through the text, willing himself not to feel anything.

 _"_ _There was a sick, twisted, reward-and-punishment system in the house. The punishments were always sexual. Rewards came afterwards, if we were "good" in bed._

_Those rewards were as follows, in no particular order:_

_These were the best kinds of rewards because the chance of escape was always high, but it was never possible. We were taken out at different times, and I couldn't bear to leave my sisters behind. His men were everywhere. And I was held down by these men while my owner raped me upon my arrival into his house. So I was definitely afraid of these men._

_Our owner would buy me things on these "reward" outings, and I would get to choose what I wanted, freely. This was the only time I would feel true happiness, but the fear of returning to that hell was always imminent._

_2\. Food, water, toiletries (sanitary napkins), and cosmetics_

_These rewards came most often, because our owner obviously wanted to keep us alive. We would be fed more on some occasions, and other times, we would starve._  
_Any food we hid would be thrown out by servants._  
_And sometimes, the food would be drugged._

_Bottled water was my personal favorite, but my owner found a way to drug that as well._

_We wouldn't get a warning of what was drugged. The drug didn't have a smell or a taste. And those times, I would wake up sore, chaffing, and bleeding._

_I learned that if I didn't fall asleep in the bed, or somewhere where my body was accessible, I would be left alone for the night._  
_My sisters and I would take turns sleeping in the bed._  
_We all eventually learned that whoever slept in the bed would get raped for the night._

_As for toiletries, our owner would gift them to us whenever he felt like it, and not when we needed it, therefore, one week out of the month became its own special kind of hell._

_As for cosmetics, it was like a godsend. He would treat us nicer when we looked prettier. We would take care to put makeup on at night, so if he decided…."_

Seto stopped reading. He leaned back into his seat, forcing himself to take deep breaths as he began to hyperventilate.

He glanced up at Yami's sleeping figure laying on his bed and he held his breath, his eyes burning as he felt his stomach churn terribly.

This, explained why Yami hadn't wanted to eat anything when he had first arrived.

Yami had only eaten half a peach, which he had already bitten into.

That meant it wasn't drugged.

The rice balls he ate, probably because he was starving and couldn't stomach it anymore.

 _Shit…shit._ Seto reeled, backing his chair away from his desk as the blood rushed heavily into his head. Yami's actions seemed to match these blog entries, word for word.

He didn't sleep in the bed, for fear of being raped; hence the reason he'd been found on the floor, or slumped over by the table or the couch.

And his eating behavior had changed….only after the rule had been written that he had to eat daily.

Maybe these blog entries would also answer his questions as to why Yami wouldn't bathe willingly.

Fuck.

Seto palmed his face, remembering that he had written that laziness would be punished. He didn't say how, and honestly wasn't planning on following through with any sort of real punishment, but writing that in the list had been a mistake already.

 _We've come very close to having sex, so what the hell does that mean?!_ Seto thought angrily, going through his own actions in his mind, hating himself.  
But he was pretty sure Yami was willing!  
Yami had nodded, and even asked for it at times.  
Was he doing that because he thought he had to?  
For… _"rewards_ "?!

Seto racked his brain, going through every moment since Yami had set foot in the mansion, his mind hazy with exhaustion.

His bodyguards had held Yami down while he kicked and screamed, looking terrified of the needle, and…of him. He had continued to cry, after his sedation, but then… smiled at him in the shower.

 _I'm missing something!_ Seto thought angrily, raising his head up to glare at his screen. He didn't want to read any more, so he continued to run the events over in his mind.

What had happened after the strange incident in the shower?

He had gone back inside to photograph Yami's wrist, and Yami had looked terrified throughout the entire ordeal, thinking he was taking a photo of his ass.

Seto shut his eyes and propped his elbows up on his desk, cursing himself.  
What was after that?  
He had found Yami asleep on the table, trying to learn the words on the remote.  
Then, he had kissed him on the bed and shoved a string of anal beads up his ass.

 _But he asked for it!_ Seto thought furiously, slamming his fist down onto his desk, remembering Yami's angry face shouting at him while pointing at the lube. He had even leaned back onto the bed and flashed him his asshole, so why the fuck…?

" _Rewards came afterwards, if we were "good" in bed"_

Oh.  
Seto blinked, feeling his eyes heat up terribly.

He had taken Yami to the dermatologist to have his tattoo lasered off.  
Was that considered a "reward"?  
Yami had done that willingly, braving the pain without anesthetic.  
Yami had also asked for everything in sight while they were at the shopping mall.

Fuck. Fuck!  
And he had played along, buying everything Yami wanted, thinking it was fine! But it was not fine!

 _My actions confirm this punishment-reward system!_ Seto screamed at himself, gripping his hair in distress.

What had happened after that?

They had eaten dinner, and Yami had stuffed himself…because they were eating together, meaning the food was safe.

And after that….

 _I sucked his dick,_ Seto remembered, horrified, his heart pounding so fast in his chest it began to hurt. _Did that count as a "punishment"? I forced him to shower afterwards. Is water considered a reward? Holy fuck…._

To top it all off, he had given Yami a bottle of water right after he had sucked him off. Did Yami take that gesture as some kind of…'reward' as well?! God….

Seto hastily pulled his desk drawer open and grabbed the first letter Yami had written for him, reading carefully over his words again.

 _"_ _Owner,_

 _You are a kind and handsome man._  
_I am very grateful for your kind(ness) and attention._  
_Please do not hurt me._  
_I will do what you ask of me, please._  
_All I want is to remain clean."_

 _…_ _._

Owner.  
Owner.  
Seto repeated the word over and over in his head, almost crumpling the letter in his grasp and gritting his teeth so hard that his jaw hurt.

He understood this letter perfectly now.

Yami had written it this way intentionally.

"Owner," meant…slave owner.

 _"_ _Kind and handsome,"_ was a compliment; it was supposed to elicit sympathy.

"… _Grateful for your kindness and attention,_ " was either a lie, or empty words, written to elicit more sympathy. His attention was the opposite of what Yami wanted, if these blog entries were anything to go by.

 _"_ _Please do not hurt me."_

Seto paused at this sentence, feeling his eyes water for real this time as he stared at Yami's neat, round handwriting.

Yami had meant this genuinely.  
He didn't want to be mentally or physically hurt, raped, beaten, or starved.

" _I will do what you ask of me, please."_  
  
_Truth, probably,_ Seto thought darkly, feeling lightheaded and nauseous, because disobeying meant a sick punishment would follow.

 _"_ _All I want is to remain clean."_

He means 'pure _',_ Seto realized, feeling bile rise up in his throat.  
Yami wanted to keep his virginity.

 _Well you don't do that by asking to be kissed and acting like a little slut_. Seto thought angrily, resisting the urge to tear Yami's letter into shreds.

He stood up so quickly he felt the room spin. God, he was tired. And he wanted to erase the past few hours from his mind.

There was something he needed to do first, before he forgot.

Seto slid a fresh sheet of paper out from his desk and wrote out a new set of rules, choosing his words carefully, without bothering to write in Arabic. He was too tired to do any more translations for the night.

He would have Yami translate this in his own time.  
He tucked the paper into Yami's dictionary and left his books in a neat stack on the edge of his desk. There. Done.  
Hopefully Yami would see that in the morning and be curious enough to read it.

Seto picked up his phone and sent Isono a quick text, letting him know not to wake him in the morning. He needed at least four solid hours of sleep to function after reading those horrifying blog entries.

He walked over to his bed and watched Yami's chest rise and fall gently in the semi-darkness.

What was a good way to show him that the bed was safe?

Words were meaningless, because Yami could think he was lying.  
Actions were what mattered.

 _No more sex! And no sex on the bed, ever._ Seto vowed, staring down into Yami's peaceful face.

The bed would be for sleeping only, and he would show Yami that, by fucking sleeping in it with him, every night, platonically.

 _Fuck my life_ , Seto thought angrily, slipping underneath the sheets and turning away from Yami's sleeping form.

He shut his eyes and soon felt himself drifting off into a light, restless sleep.

* * *

Yami felt a delicious warmth pressing against his forehead and he snuggled up closer towards it, stretching his toes out underneath the covers happily, enjoying the thickness of the sheets around him.

Everything was warm.  
His wrist itched.  
Yami scratched at it.  
His nails passed over his bandages and his wound stung.

Suddenly, he remembered he had forgotten to change his bandages last night.

His eyes shot open and Yami bolted upright, the comforter falling lightly down around his shoulders.

Bright beams of sunlight were streaming in through sheer, white curtains, and the room was very warm.

Yami felt a movement beside him and jumped, his heart leaping into his throat as he saw his owner's head, sticking up from the covers, his light brown hair messily splayed across the white pillows beneath him.

Forcing himself to calm down, Yami glanced around, noticing that he was in his owner's room.  
His owner...had carried him into the bed in his room!

Fear gripped Yami again as he glanced down at himself, relieved to find that he was still fully dressed.

Angry at himself for falling asleep, Yami inched away from his owner's sleeping form, his gaze landing on a stack of books sitting on the edge of his owner's desk. His books!

Yami hastily slid out from beneath the sheets and walked over to the desk, his toes stinging from the cold of the stone floors.

He saw a new sheet of paper sticking out from a page in his dictionary and he slid it out quickly, raking his eyes over the paper. His owner had written another set of rules! The sentences were neatly numbered, and this time, they were all written in Japanese.

Gripping the paper tightly, Yami shot a hateful glare at his owner. Why was this man so demanding?! What happened in his life that made him this way?!

Yami swept his gaze across his owner's desk, which was unusually messy. There were sheets of paper strewn across the surface, in another language that he didn't recognize. Intrigued, Yami circled the desk and picked up several of the pages.

Japanese…and…Yami hazarded a guess at English.

He flipped through the papers, staring at the thin, slanted letters in his owner's neat handwriting. How many languages did his owner know how to speak?!  
This was terrifying!

 _I will find a way to learn English too_! Yami thought determinedly, gripping his owner's letter tightly, not caring that he was wrinkling the paper. He would find a way to surpass his owner in intelligence. But first, he had to learn Japanese, his owner's native language.

He grabbed his dictionary and marched back into his room, taking care to close the joint door softly behind him. He sat down at the low table and began diligently translating the sentences out one by one. He sat back to admire his handiwork.

They were the same rules, just written differently.

 _Oh._ Yami thought, an odd feeling curling in his chest.

 _1._ _Study daily, and in your free time, Miss Ao will be holding the lessons with you in your room. Behave._

 _My lessons will now be held in this room!_ Yami thought excitedly, his spirits rising. His owner didn't want to monitor him anymore! That, or the lesson yesterday had gone extremely well.

 _2._ _Bathe when you are dirty and eat when you are hungry._

 _Obviously,_ Yami thought darkly, thinking his owner was stupid to even write this rule.

 _3._ _Do not hide food. Ask for food at any time and you shall receive it._

Yami blinked, reading the sentence again.  
All he had to do was ask for food?  
He didn't have to wait to be fed?  
Food wasn't going to be withheld?  
Or poisoned? Or drugged?  
_  
I want another rule saying my food won't be drugged,_ Yami thought irritably, knowing he was asking too much already.

 _4._ _Laziness will not be tolerated._

…As opposed to "punished", which was what his owner had written before.

Yami tapped the paper with his pen in confusion. What was the difference?! If laziness wasn't tolerated, he would still be punished. His owner was trying to make the punishment sound less severe.

 _5._ _Sleep in a bed. Please do not sleep on the floor._

 _Fine, I can do that._ Yami thought angrily, before moving on to read the last rule.

 _6._ _If there is anything else you need, do not hesitate to ask for it._

 _Really._ Yami thought sarcastically, turning the page over onto the back, unsurprised to see that it was blank _._

 _Can I ask for my freedom? Will he give that to me?_ Yami thought ruefully, resisting the urge to rip the paper up into shreds. His owner, however smart, was very idiotic at times.

Folding the paper back into his dictionary, Yami stood up and walked back into his owner's room, surprised to see that he was still asleep.

Yami climbed up onto the bed, his knees sinking softly into the mattress as he hovered over his owner's sleeping form, and his heart thudded loudly in his ears.

Brown bangs were pushed messily up across his owner's forehead and his skin was very pale in the soft morning light. His cheekbones were sharp, his expression, peaceful, and his lips looked so soft. The tips of his owner's lips curved down into a perfect V, dipping down into a sharp jawline.

Yami stared down into his owner's face, cursing him for looking so handsome.

The doorknob clicked and Yami jerked his head up, expecting to see the servant, but to his horror, it was Mokuba.

Mokuba gasped, his expression morphing from shock to anger in an instant. He rushed towards the bed and leapt up onto the mattress, giving Yami a fierce shove.

Yami fell over sideways, bouncing lightly as his shoulder hit the mattress with a soft thump. A gigantic lump rose up in his throat and he swallowed it tightly, sitting upright on his knees, his mind scrambling for a solution.

Seto felt the bed dip violently beneath him and he jerked awake, sitting up so quickly his head rushed.

Mokuba was sitting beside him, his tiny fists clenched at his sides as he glared at Yami, who was sitting apprehensively on the far side of the bed, looking panic-stricken.

Oh, what fresh hell was this?

"Seto!" Mokuba cried, throwing his arms around his brother's neck tightly. "He was being weird! He was looking at you weirdly while you were asleep!"

Seto felt his head grow light as Mokuba's arms slowly tightened around his neck. The blog entries he had read last night returned in a rush and he felt a wave of nausea rise up inside him steadily.

Yami held his breath, watching Mokuba cling to their owner while sounding accusatory. He watched his owner respond by calmly tugging Mokuba's arms off from around his neck, speaking to him in a gentle tone.

"Mokuba," Seto said hoarsely, looking deeply into his younger brother's dark grey eyes, "be nice to him, please. He was abused."

Mokuba frowned and sat back on his heels, looking skeptical. "How do you know that?"

Seto hesitated, then flung the comforter off of his body. He walked towards his desk and picked up the lab results, handing it to Mokuba, watching his younger brother's eyes widen as he stared at the paper.

Yami watched with increasing curiosity as his owner handed Mokuba a sheet of paper, which Mokuba appeared to be able to read with ease.

 _He can already read! More than I can!_ Yami thought, stunned.  
Was this a normal occurrence in this household?  
An owner who insisted on educating their slaves?

Mokuba blinked and blinked, staring at the list of colors and words on the paper Seto have given him. It was a lab report, run on the clothes the foreigner had been wearing when he first entered the house.

Mokuba felt a chill run down as his spine as he caught the percentages of urine and fecal matter found on the clothing. Gross! But he looked kinda clean when he came in! So what did that mean?!

"I-I don't get it." Mokuba said lamely, handing the sheet of paper back to his brother as he felt his cheeks heat up. He wasn't sure he wanted to understand.  
Did the foreigner get peed on?!  
Mokuba shivered.

Seto slid the paper back across his desk, nodding silently. He saw Mokuba blush with embarrassment and decided that now would be a good time to ask if his little brother wanted to read Yami's letter.

"Can you be nicer to him now?" Seto asked, catching a curious look pan across Yami's face.

"Yes." Mokuba said dully, with his head lowered. He slid off the bed and made his way over to the door, looking glum. "I'll see you downstairs, Seto." And he shut the door quietly behind him, feeling conflicted.  
Seto wanted to be nice to this stranger!  
Seto was taking him out to get tutored, laser tattoo removals, and even new clothes! Why? Because he had been abused?

Mokuba grit his teeth, feeling his stomach churn. He would be nicer to the foreigner, but he wouldn't trust him not to take advantage of Seto once he knew Seto had a lot of money.

Yami stared at the closed door, uncertainty swirling around in his chest.

That was an odd exchange.  
His owner had given Mokuba something to read.  
Mokuba had read it, and then looked embarrassed, quickly leaving the room afterwards.

 _What's on the paper?_ Yami wondered as he watched his owner slide it into a drawer in the desk. He heard a lock click, but didn't see his owner use a key.

Yami blinked, feeling his confusion rise. His owner used invisible locks.  
What else were in those drawers that he didn't want anyone to see?!

Seto stared at his desk, the sheets of English to Japanese translations he had done last night were still scattered across its surface. He noticed Yami had taken his books back into his room, and that made him feel a little bit better. He quickly tidied his desk, feeling Yami's gaze following his every move.

Seto looked up, catching Yami's eye, watching him redden instantly and immediately look away.

"Did you see the new sheet of paper in your dictionary?" he asked, knowing that Yami couldn't understand him.  
He had decided he would speak to the boy normally, as if he was speaking to anyone else. Yami could catch on, eventually, and respond in a normal conversational tone…hopefully.

Yami blinked, hearing his owner speak, seemingly addressing him. He tentatively nodded his head, indicating that he had heard.

His owner stared at him for a very long time before nodding back in response.

Seto walked towards the door and held it open for Yami, pointing into the hallway. We're going out.

 _Okay,_ Yami thought, climbing off the bed, feeling his chest swirl with a strange, fluttering sensation. He wondered what his owner had said earlier and Yami was secretly glad he had nodded in response, because his owner seemed pleased.

He followed his owner down the stairway, wondering why they passed the front door.

They weren't going out?

He hurried to walk closer behind his owner, following him into a wide hallway leading into a dining area.

 _Ah, this is where I can find food!_ Yami thought, taking in his surroundings eagerly. It looked very clean and elegant. There were tall cabinets made of light-colored wood, with thin panels of glass near the bottom. Inside, Yami could see white bowls sitting neatly in stacks. There was a sink made of white stone, and even the handles on the cabinets were white. It was beautiful!

Mokuba was sitting on a very tall chair with shiny metal legs, leaning against a long, grey stone counter, eating enthusiastically.

The moment Mokuba saw Seto and the foreigner enter the kitchen, he stopped eating to stare.

Seto made a beeline for the pot of coffee which Isono had prepared, while Yami stood awkwardly in the center of the room, unsure of what to do with himself.

"What's he doing in here?" Mokuba asked loudly, keeping his head lowered over his food as he tried to avoid Yami's gaze. He stared way too much! Staring was rude!

Seto leaned against the counter, gripping the handle of the slender pot tightly and carefully pouring himself a large cup of coffee, "He needs to know where the food is. Just tell him not to touch your snacks."

"I'll do that." Mokuba said roughly, sliding off the barstool and walking towards the pantry.

Yami watched with increasing interest as Mokuba rushed past him and slid open a set of large, foggy glass doors.

"These are mine, you can't eat these, or I'll get mad at you." Mokuba said, pointing at the snacks and pointing at himself. He watched as Yami continued to stare at him and he turned to his older brother, "Seto, can he even understand me?"

Yami felt his breath hitch as he feasted his eyes on the large shelves brimming with food. There were wrapped snacks, oddly shaped candies, and brightly colored drinks.

Yami felt his mouth water. Was he allowed to have any of this?

He glanced at Mokuba, who glared at him and shook his head, pointing at himself and then calling for their owner.

Seto watched Yami's eyes widen and he shook his head at Mokuba, "Try again. It doesn't look like he understands."

Yami watched with bated breath as Mokuba faced him once more and made an 'X' motion across the front of his chest with his arms, shaking his head insistently and pointing at the shelves of food, then making the 'X' motion again.  
No. None for you.

Oh.  
Yami blinked and nodded, gritting his teeth, feeling his eyes water dangerously. This food was not for him.

Seto saw Yami's face darken.

"Mokuba, sit down." Seto said hastily, leading Mokuba away from Yami. Maybe he ought to show Yami what food he _could_ have first, before barring him from Mokuba's selection of special snacks.

Mokuba crossed his arms stiffly and nodded, walking back to the counter and climbing up onto the barstool again.

Yami watched Mokuba walk by, a dark feeling curling in his chest. Wait, did that mean, the entire cupboard of snacks was for Mokuba?! And Mokuba was telling him he couldn't have any?!

 _He's selfish!_ Yami realized, curling his fists at his sides and feeling his stomach churn violently. Making friends with this child was going to be extremely difficult. He had been spoiled rotten by this owner.

Yami aimed his glare at his owner, who had set his foul drink down on the counter and moved towards tall metal doors. Yami glared so hard at his owner's slender hands, his eyes began to burn.

Seto swung the refrigerator doors open and beckoned for Yami to look inside.

Yami stood resolutely in place, looking angry.

"Yami, come look in here." Seto sighed impatiently, pointing into the refrigerator.

Yami froze, unable to believe his ears.  
He had understood what his owner had said, just barely.

" _Come look…"_ was what he had said!

Yami nodded stiffly and walked forwards, peering in through the tall metal doors, cold air blasting him in the face as he did so. His eyes widened again as he saw the shelves lined with a wide assortment of fruits, clear drinks in glass bottles, colored drinks in glass bottles, wrapped plates of prepared food, and many more interesting items he didn't recognize.  
This country had such neat-looking food!  
Was he allowed to have any of this?!  
There was a rule saying, if he wanted food, he could ask for it!

 _Clearly, that doesn't apply to Mokuba's food,_ Yami thought darkly, leaning back and nodding at his owner, showing him that he had seen the shelves of food.

"You can have anything in here, and in here," Seto said easily. He left the refrigerator door wide open as he leaned around to pull open another frosted glass door which sitting on the opposite side. His side was much sparser than Mokuba's pantry.

He watched Yami peer curiously into it and nod his head, looking upset.

Seto blinked and grit his teeth, mentally recalling that Yami had only one language lesson so far. He probably didn't understand a word.

"Yours." Seto stated slowly, pointing at the shelves of fruit, bowls of tossed salad and pre-made plates of seasoned rice, eggs, sausages and cold-cut meats.

Yami felt his chest constrict nervously as his owner spoke again, pointing at the shelves of fruits, and this time, Yami understood him perfectly. These were his. He was allowed to have...all of this!

Seto saw Yami's eyes widen and he felt an odd sense of satisfaction. Did Yami understand? Miss Ao had gone over a section of possessive pronouns.  
He had to understand.

"And also…yours." Seto said slowly, swinging the refrigerator door shut and pointing into his side of the pantry. He saw a look of comprehension dawn across Yami's delicate face and he felt his heart skip a beat. Yes, he did understand!

Yami dared himself to breathe, unable to believe his eyes and ears. His owner was pointing to another cupboard, similar to Mokuba's, only this one had empty shelves. These shelves were his!

He understood fully now, and he felt much better.

Yami nodded vigorously, watching his owner close the glass door and smile handsomely at him. He felt his heart skip a beat as he wondered if he could peek inside Mokuba's cupboard, manage to read the labels off the snacks and ask for those too.  
Would his owner buy those for him to fill these shelves?!  
Of course he would!  
That was why Mokuba was unwilling to share any of his food with him! It was his personal collection.

"Thank you." Yami said quietly, a strange feeling swirling around in his chest. His owner was showing kindness and being generous. Perhaps, it wouldn't be too much to hope that he could live as comfortably as Mokuba!

Seto tilted his head, instantly recognizing that Yami had said 'thank you' in Arabic.  
He nodded stiffly and vowed to study the language harder so they could communicate with words other than "please" and "thank you".

Mokuba stared at Seto and the foreigner, who were both gazing at each other with strange expressions.  
Did Seto understand what the stranger had just said?!

"Wh-What did he say?" Mokuba asked haughtily, setting his spoon down with a demanding clink.  
Seto had probably studied this guy's language!

"He said 'thank you'." Seto responded, smiling warmly at Mokuba, and Mokuba felt his breath stop midway in his chest. Why did Seto suddenly look so happy?!

Yami watched the exchange between Mokuba and their owner, hearing his owner say 'thank you' in Japanese. Was he…translating for Mokuba?! This meant that Mokuba didn't want to talk to him directly!

 _Maybe I need to write to him saying that I won't steal his food_ , Yami thought half-heartedly, thinking he ought to give up on befriending Mokuba. The child clearly hated him.

Seto quickly downed the rest of his coffee and set the cup onto the counter with a soft clink, stepping past Yami and heading upstairs. He had a meeting to get to. He could feel Yami following him and he stopped in his tracks, causing the boy to bump into him slightly from behind.

He turned around and gave Yami a nudge, pointing at the kitchen. Go back in there and eat.

Yami blinked up at him and shook his head, placing his hands together and opening them, making the gesture for...a book? Did the kid want to go back up to his room to study? No. Food first.  
Seto pointed at the kitchen doorway again and shook his head. He watched Yami blink stubbornly at him and he sighed, giving up.

Whatever. Yami knew where to find food. He could leave the bedroom door unlocked from now on.

Yami watched his owner sigh and turn away, walking back up the stairs.

 _He would rather I eat than let me have my book,_ Yami thought darkly, watching his owner disappear into his room and shut the door with an echoing click.

He dashed into his room and snatched up his dictionary, taking care to tuck the letter he had written for Mokuba into the folds of the book before running back down the stairs, feeling nervous.

Yami approached Mokuba cautiously, feeling his stomach twist strangely as he watched the boy shovel eggs and bread messily into his mouth. This child was cute, even though his behavior was bratty. He had very large eyes, and long, black hair that shone underneath the bright lights.

Mokuba snapped his head up when he saw the foreign boy hovering by the edge of the counter, and pulled his plate closer to himself, glaring. "Get your own. What do you want?"

Yami blinked, realizing Mokuba thought he wanted his food.

Yami shook his head and slipped the letter out, holding it up for Mokuba to see. He saw Mokuba stare at him for a long moment before ignoring him and going back to eating.

Irritated, Yami slid the letter in front of Mokuba, watching him jerk his head up and glare at him again.

 _Please read it!_ Yami thought furiously, inching the paper closer to Mokuba's tiny hands which were curled into fists.

Mokuba felt slightly afraid as he watched the foreign boy continue to stare intently at him, insisting he touch the piece of paper he had brought down. Did Seto know he was doing this? Was this what Seto was talking about yesterday? Had this stranger really written him a letter, asking to be friends?

 _Fine, I'll read it_ , Mokuba thought begrudgingly. He picked up the paper and quickly unfolded it, staring at the neat, little round letters that the foreigner had written.

 _Oh, his handwriting is nicer than mine,_ Mokuba thought enviously, feeling his stomach clench as he read the letter quickly.

" _Dear Mokuba,_

_I wish to be your friend, please do not hate me!  
I am not a threat, nor do I want to steal your Seto from you._

_Let's be friends,_

_Yami"_

_He knows I hate him,_ Mokuba thought darkly, reading the letter over again, _And he knows he's getting Seto's attention._

Mokuba lifted his gaze up to stare at the foreigner, glancing back down at the letter again, noting he had signed it as "Yami" spelled out in Hiragana.  
Weird. Was that his actual name? That sounded…like it could be Japanese…!

Yami held his breath, his heart thundering in his chest as he watched Mokuba read the letter with ease. Would it work? Could they finally be somewhat nicer to each other now?!

"Yami." Mokuba said carefully, watching the foreigner's face visibly light up. He was smiling, his teeth very white against his lightly tanned skin.

"Fine." Mokuba said carelessly, tossing the letter aside on the counter as he resumed eating, "As long as you promise not to steal Seto from me, we're good."

Yami blinked and blinked, swaying slightly on the spot. He heard Mokuba speak his name, also repeating a few words from his letter, mainly, from the last line, regarding their owner, Seto.

 _He agrees?_ Yami thought uncertainly, realizing that he had no way of knowing. This child was less sophisticated than their owner, and he wasn't going to write a letter back….even though he could read and write!

Mokuba stared at Yami, watching him waver uncertainly by the counter, and he realized Yami didn't understand him.

"We're friends, okay?" Mokuba said gruffly, chewing slowly.

Yami blinked and nodded carefully, hearing the word "friends", but Mokuba's tone was rough. So, was he not agreeing?! He had tossed the letter aside carelessly too...!

Mokuba watched Yami's face slowly morph into one of deep disappointment and he shook his head, frantically trying to correct his mistake, "No, I meant, yes…!"

Yami's face darkened further and Mokuba hastily slid off the barstool, rushing over towards the pantry and pulled out a bag of his favorite puffy chips. He walked back over to Yami and handed him the bag, wondering if he should've grabbed a juice box too. Sharing was a sign of friendship, wasn't it?  
Seto was sharing his whole side of the pantry with this foreigner, so Mokuba figured he could afford to lose one bag of chips.

Yami stared at the bright orange bag Mokuba was holding out to him.

The child was sharing one of his snacks!  
Did this mean he accepted?  
It had worked!

"Thank you!" Yami exclaimed, careful to pronounce it in Japanese as well as he could manage. He watched Mokuba blink at him, stunned, and then look away, his cheeks reddening as he walked back over to the glass door and Yami heard plastic rustling around.

What was he doing?

Mokuba returned with a white juice box with blue lettering and Yami accepted it with both hands and he bobbed his head politely, watching Mokuba's eyes grow wider and wider.

Yes? This was good! Sharing food meant they were friends! The child had even handed him a special drink!

"Don't eat it all at once." Mokuba said quietly as he climbed back up on his stool, suddenly understanding why Seto wanted to be nice to this stranger. He was actually very polite, and he learned very quickly.

Yami smiled happily and turned to walk back up to his room. He would keep these and enjoy them later!

He saw his owner hurrying down the stairs towards him and Yami's breath caught painfully in his chest.

His owner was once again dressed sharply, looking extremely handsome and neat, and carrying a thin metal case. This time, he was wearing a dark suit with a dark blue shirt on the inside, paired beautifully with a thin, solid, white tie.

Seto adjusted his cuffs firmly and nodded at Yami, eyeing the odd selection of items in his arms; his translation dictionary along with Mokuba's favorite snack and drink.

Seto felt his chest tighten nervously.  
Did Yami steal those snacks from the pantry, or had he managed to befriend Mokuba?

"Mokuba!" Seto called loudly, "I'm heading out!"

Yami blinked, feeling his stomach curl strangely as his owner barely glanced at him and immediately called for Mokuba.

Yami heard footsteps thumping up from behind him and Mokuba appeared beside him, rushing forwards to throw his arms around their owner's neck, hugging him tightly.

Yami bit his lip and stood his ground, forcing himself not to feel jealous or angry. His owner's attention was not something valuable to be had. Mokuba's friendship and trust, on the other hand, was.

Seto saw Mokuba rush past Yami, who was obviously holding all of his favorite snacks to hug him tightly. Seto understood what this meant immediately and he tried to suppress the small bubble of surprise.  
Mokuba had given the snacks to Yami willingly!

Seto felt Mokuba's weight press into him and he hugged his younger brother tightly, feeling Yami watching their every move.

Yami watched his owner kiss Mokuba lightly on the top of his head and speak to him softly, and he watched Mokuba smile brightly and nod enthusiastically.

His owner straightened up and adjusted his clothing, making eye contact with him briefly before stepping out the door and shutting it with a loud click.

Stunned, Yami stood very still, listening to Mokuba patter back into the dining area.

His owner had gone out for the day and he had left him alone in this house, with Mokuba. The manservant was nowhere to be seen, and other servants were nowhere to be seen!

Yami held his breath for a moment, feeling dizzy. He blinked and refocused immediately. Eat, explore the house, learn the language with Miss Ao, continue to explore the house, and when his owner returned, appear as if he spent the day doing nothing.

Suddenly, Yami heard a soft cough behind him and he whirled around, dreading who he would see. It was the manservant, pointing at the stairs as if to say, "Go back up and stay inside."

Yami blinked and shook his head tightly. He had been given permission to eat! "Food." Yami said firmly, pointing a shaking finger towards the dining area. Was disobeying the manservant a punishable offense? His owner didn't say anything about obeying the servants in the house, but this servant seemed to act different. Perhaps he was a head servant, of sorts.

Isono blinked and nodded politely, noting that the boy was holding an armful of Mokuba's snacks. He would bring the boy a meal in his room. Master Kaiba had notified him of the arrival of Miss Ao, and he wanted to make sure the boy was in the room, fed, watered, and ready to learn.

Yami blinked at the manservant, and he made a movement to walk towards the dining area. The servant coughed again- louder this time, and pointed up at the staircase, frowning deeply.

Annoyed, Yami frowned in return and headed back up the stairs, his anxiety rising. This servant was not sympathetic. He would aim to avoid this man at all costs in the future.

Yami threw himself down on the couch in his room, feeling his irritation and hunger rise to an all-time high. He wanted to save the snack Mokuba had given him, but the manservant had sent him up into the room without a meal. Each obstacle was larger than the last.

Just when Yami thought he had conquered Mokuba, the servant was now giving him a difficult time.

 _At least my door is unlocked,_ Yami thought forlornly, praying deeply that the manservant wouldn't come back up to lock the door. He was probably tending to Mokuba, probably making him go back into his room too.

He sighed and organized his books out in front of him. It was fine. He could starve and still manage to study well enough.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door and Yami jerked his head up, thinking perhaps it was Mokuba, coming into his room to keep him company. His hopes were dashed when he saw the manservant step into the room, carrying a large tray, laden with sliced fruit, milk, bread, greens, and a bowl of soup.  
So much food!

Yami felt his mouth water and he hastily slid his books aside on the table to make room for the tray.

Isono noticed this immediately and he set the tray down carefully, intentionally forgetting to bow as he exited the room, making sure to turn the lock in the door firmly.  
He would send Master Kaiba a message about having a desk brought into the foreign boy's room.

Yami heard the lock click and he resisted the urge to glare at the door. He turned his attention to the heaps of food instead and decided to start with the thick slices of white bread. He grabbed a piece and bit into it eagerly, enjoying the soft, fluffy texture, wondering what his owner was currently doing.

Yami pulled his book onto his lap, opening it to the last page where he had stopped with Miss Ao, and he struggled to read the next chapter intently. He ate quickly and stacked the empty plates onto the tray, moving to set them onto the floor to make room for his books, feeling determined.

If he could study the new chapter before Miss Ao got here, then he would have successfully read it through twice!

Yami bent his head down and pulled out a fresh sheet of practice paper, flipping his dictionary open, he diligently plowed through the next chapter.

After a while, Yami had managed to fill several gridded pages with sentences and phrases. Satisfied, Yami sat back and stretched, feeling his bandage itch.

Yami blinked and frantically ran into the bathroom to wash his hands, realizing he intended to change his bandage this morning but had been distracted.

He carefully peeled the bandage off, unwrapping it slowly, horrified when he saw a black, scabby mess sitting in the center of his wrist. Fear gripped his being as he held his wrist out in front of himself, thoroughly disgusted.  
Was it supposed to look like this?!  
Did this mean it was healing?  
Or was it infected?!

Cursing his owner, Yami rushed towards the nightstand and quickly dabbed a cotton pad into the clear liquid, remembering the way he had seen his owner do it, and he patted the wound gently, wincing as it stung terribly.

The black scabs were soft and his wrist itched horribly again. Yami patted more of the liquid across the wound, also cleaning the area around where the bandage had been wrapped.

He applied the smelly ointment across his wound, wrinkling his nose and suppressing a gag as the bitter smell invaded his nostrils. He quickly capped the jar and grabbed a fresh roll of bandages, hastily wrapping it around the wound.

Yami moved towards his closet and pulled on a long-sleeved jacket. He heard his golden bracelets clink together on his other arm and he felt slightly better.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door and Yami straightened up stiffly. Miss Ao was here!

The head manservant stepped into the room and Yami felt disappointment swell up inside him. He watched the head servant pick up the tray of empty plates from the floor, and Yami was startled when two maids and two other manservants backed carefully into the room, carrying a long, slender desk.

It was shiny and white, and Yami swallowed nervously, watching the head servant direct the other servants to set it against the wall beside the bed.

Yami watched as another maid entered the room, wheeling in two, matching white leather chairs. He counted five servants so far, and they filed out of the room, bowing to the head servant politely.

Isono swept his gaze around the room and nodded, satisfied.  
Master Kaiba would be happy with this arrangement.  
He pointedly avoided the foreign boy's gaze and stepped out of the room, making sure to lock the door behind him again.

Yami stood very still, extremely shocked. His room was getting nicer! Did his owner order the servants to bring in a desk? Or was it only for show, for when Miss Ao arrived?

Deciding he ought to take advantage of what he had, Yami swept his books up in his arms and stacked them onto the desk in order of difficulty. This bright yellow book he was studying currently, was thin, and he had almost reached the end. He opened all the shallow drawers in the white drawer, satisfied that they fit all of his pencil pouches perfectly. Yami lined everything up neatly inside the drawer, also stacking the spare sheets of paper into it.

Finally, Yami pushed one of the leather chairs against the desk and sat down in it, feeling immensely satisfied. This was a good desk! And the chair was comfortable enough to sleep in. He would spend many a night here.

Dipping his head back down, Yami flipped open his dictionary and began composing a thank you letter to his owner.

 _"_ _Owner,_

_I am grateful for this desk. I will use it often…."_

Yami paused, realizing his owner had yet to read the last letter he had written.

He crumpled the letter up and shoved it into the drawer with the practice sheets, angry with himself for caring enough to write a second letter.  
His owner didn't care about him.  
His owner was only doing this for his own, selfish convenience.

Annoyed, Yami turned back to his textbook, hearing a soft knock sound at the door.

He swiveled around in his seat to see who it was.

Miss Ao stepped into the room, looking bright and cheerful, her arms full of notebooks and spare practice booklets.

"Yami! Good afternoon!" She exclaimed happily, and Yami nodded, immensely relieved that he managed to understand what she said.

"Good afternoon." He responded stiffly, standing and bowing quickly, moving towards the spare chair and pulling it up towards the desk.

"Thank you!" Miss Ao said excitedly, "Today…. everything….and we will…."

Yami blinked and nodded, feeling his head grow heavy. Miss Ao was speaking to him normally now, and it was becoming harder to understand.

"Let's start!" Miss Ao chirped, sitting down gracefully in the seat beside him and flipping open her copy of the book.

Yami nodded and flipped back to the beginning of the chapter.

Miss Ao's eyes widened and she pointed excitedly at the stack of paper he had written earlier, speaking slowly, "Did you…complete this…all…yourself?"

"Yes." Yami responded, nodding nervously, watching her pick up the stack and fan through it energetically.

"Pretty!" She cried, picking up her pen and circling some characters on the page, "But here is...and …."

Yami swallowed nervously and nodded, barely understanding anything she was saying. He watched her circle more characters on his paper and re-write it, with a larger loop. Ah, she was saying it was written wrong!

"Thank you." Yami said carefully, and Miss Ao laughed and nodded, handing him back the stack and pointing at the first sentence in the chapter.

"Now, we start!" She said happily, and Yami nodded enthusiastically, bending forwards over his book, determined to get through as much of the chapter with her as he possibly could.

* * *

Seto sighed and shut his laptop with a click, rising quickly, eager to get home. His office was getting dark and the silence was suffocating. He stretched lightly and bent forwards to pick up his metal briefcase, hearing a knock at his door.

His secretary still hadn't left yet?

"Enter." Kaiba said tiredly, slipping several files into the briefcase, suddenly remembering he had yet to translate the letter Yami had written for him yesterday.

"Mr. Kaiba!" His secretary sang as she floated into the room, looking unusually fresh-faced. "Let's go out somewhere."

Seto felt his eyelid twitch. This again? She had been trying to casually invite him "out" several times in a row, and he had declined.  
Sex friends, did not go "out" together.

"No thank you. I'm exhausted." Seto responded stiffly, shutting his briefcase with a soft click.

"Don't be like that…" She pouted, dipping her head down sensually, giving him a full view of her lacy bra as she leaned towards him across his desk.

Seto blinked and felt himself tense.

"I'll have more energy next week." Seto said, declining as politely as he could. She knew his schedule, so she could ask again when he didn't feel so fucking exhausted.

"I'll make room in your schedule." She said coyly, smiling brightly at him.

"Whatever you want." Kaiba responded wearily, brushing past her and walking out the door, leaving her standing alone in his office.

* * *

Yami felt himself nodding off as his pen slid dangerously across a sheet of paper, smearing ink in a crooked line across the page.

He pried his eyes open and palmed his face tiredly, feeling his stomach grumble. He stood up slowly and stared at the snack and drink Mokuba had given him. How could he ask for food if he was locked inside his room?

Yami suddenly felt angry and his wrist itched and burned terribly. What time was it? He had no way of knowing! Miss Ao had left hours ago, when the sun was still shining brightly outside, and now, it had been a long while since the sun had set!

 _I need to ask my owner for a damn clock_ , Yami thought darkly, walking towards his front door and banging on it. Nothing. No answer.

Yami strode across the room and knocked loudly on the connecting door, pressing his ear against the side, listening for noise. Nothing.

 _Where is everyone?!_ Yami thought furiously, feeling pent up as he paced the room. He hadn't heard Mokuba at all, not even his footsteps outside his door.

Suddenly, Yami heard a door slam and he rushed to the window, seeing a long black car parked by the fountain, and his heart leaped in his chest. His owner had returned!

He watched as Mokuba ran out through the front doors and hugged their owner tightly. Yami felt his stomach curl with a mixture of displeasure and hunger. Mokuba was not locked away. He was free to roam the house, or, he was let out when the owner was returning.

Pushing the curtain back into place, Yami walked over to his bed and sat down, resisting the urge to scratch wildly at his wrist. Damn, it itched so much, it hurt!

He stiffened when he heard the voices of Mokuba and his owner echoing up from the hallway.

Yami rushed towards the door and knocked loudly. He hoped they would hear and let him out so he could have some food.

Mokuba jumped when he heard loud knocking coming from Yami's door and he threw Seto a worried look, "Why do we lock the door? He can read and write, so, can't we just write to him saying he can't go outside?"

Seto blinked, staring at the lock on the door, feeling his stomach twist uncomfortably. Who had locked the door? Isono?

"Has he eaten?" Seto asked frantically, feeling panicked. The last thing he wanted was for Yami to feel like a caged animal.

"I don't know." Mokuba said uncertainly, watching his brother rush forwards to unlock the door. Poor Yami had been locked in his room for the entire day! Mokuba had wondered why Yami wasn't coming out of his room. He had even hoped he could convince Yami to place-hold a character in his video game for him.

"I thought it was weird when he didn't come out all day." Mokuba said lamely, feeling guilty that he hadn't walked by Yami's door at all, thinking maybe if he had, he could've unlocked it for him.

Seto yanked the door open and Yami stood right in front of him, looking livid.

"This door should never be locked." Seto said, feeling his anger rise. He needed to have a word with Isono. "Are you hungry? Yami?"

Yami felt himself sway on the spot as his owner spoke angrily to him, but he was too hungry to care.

"Food…please." Yami said stiffly, hating his owner with all of his being.

"Downstairs. I haven't eaten either." Seto agreed hastily, pointing at the staircase, "Mokuba? Are you hungry?"

"No, I already ate." Mokuba said quietly, noticing that Yami looked furious, his angular violet eyes were narrowed threateningly. "He's angry he got locked in there all day with no food."

"I am aware." Seto responded darkly, walking into his room to set his suitcase down onto his desk. He slid his hand into his pocket and texted Isono to come upstairs. He needed to show Yami that he was angry at Isono for locking the door.

Yami stood nervously by the door, watching Mokuba eye him with pity.

 _Don't look at me like that!_ Yami thought viciously _, you have shelves full of food you won't share with me!_

Yami heard a cough and to his immense displeasure, it was the head servant, making his way up the stairs, carrying a tray with his owner's foul drink. Yami clenched his fists at his sides, hating the manservant.

"Yami..!"

His owner was calling.

Yami stormed into his owner's room, too angry and hungry to care if his owner wanted to dirty him. He had enough anger to punch through a thousand brick walls.

"Master Kaiba." Isono said, bowing quickly, feeling the foreign boy hover behind him. He walked into the room and stood politely off to the side, watching the foreign boy glare at him with a look of deep contempt.

Seto watched Yami glare at Isono with a look so dark, it made goosebumps rise along his arms.

Yep, Yami had definitely been starved today, and it was his own fault for not clarifying to Isono that Yami could leave his room. He knew Isono would put up a fight about it, so they were going to have this argument in front of Yami, for his benefit.

"You can leave his door unlocked from now on." Kaiba said plainly, loosening his tie.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Master Kaiba." Isono responded quietly, walking forwards to set the coffee down on Kaiba's desk before backing up politely to stand by the door, purposefully avoiding Yami's gaze.

"Didn't you see the lab report?" Kaiba asked, feeling his anger return with full force. "Then you should know, he needs to be treated kindly."

"I don't read your things." Isono said solemnly, lying.  
He had glanced at the results.  
The boy was filthy!

"I know you do, you old man, don't fucking lie." Kaiba hissed, his anxiety rising as he saw Yami's eyes narrow at him, "Leave his door unlocked, so he can access the kitchen and eat whenever he wants."

"There are knives in the kitchen." Isono said stiffly, clasping his hands in front of him to show that he would not be intimidated. Master Kaiba did not always know what was best. "I can bring him food. Have the boy call me, or I can wait by his—"

"Then hide the knives goddammit! And leave his door unlocked. Keeping it locked would only cause more distrust! He's been starved his entire life!" Kaiba shouted, unable to stop himself. He saw Yami's eyes widen and he caught a glimpse of Mokuba's shadow hovering by the door, clearly eavesdropping.

Yami felt his legs tremble as he watched his owner grow steadily angrier. Why was he shouting? Did he have a bad day at work?

 _Why am I in here if I'm not being shouted at?_ Yami wondered faintly, watching the manservant speak softly and react by gripping his hands tightly together.

Ah, was this head manservant the one being shouted at?!

 _He is!_ Yami realized, making brief eye contact with Mokuba, who was hovering by the edge of the door, looking stunned.

"Very well." Isono said carefully, "I will leave his door unlocked at certain times of the day, but I insist we keep his door locked during the night."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes, understanding that Isono's concern was not unwarranted.

"Fine." He said irritably, "Now leave."

Isono bowed deeply and Yami watched with bated breath as the manservant walked out of the room, not closing the door behind him. Mokuba dashed away, his tiny footsteps echoing softly down the hallway.

Yami blinked, swaying slightly on the spot as he processed what had just happened. His owner had called him inside his room…to...witness him shouting at his manservant. For...what?

Seto palmed his face in exhaustion and he tugged off his blazer, throwing it carelessly over the back of his chair, loosening the top two buttons on his shirt, feeling his stomach gnaw at him with hunger.

He could feel Yami's eyes watching him and he pointed at the doorway, "Food. Let's fucking eat."

Yami nodded tentatively, only understanding that his owner had said the word 'food.' They were going to eat together!

 _Good, finally_. Yami thought, relieved as he followed his owner down the staircase, seeing another door crack open at the other end of the hallway, and Mokuba's head peeked out from behind it, looking scared.

Yami waved lightly, watching Mokuba raise his hand half-heartedly and shut himself back inside his room. Now, he knew which room was Mokuba's.

He turned his gaze towards his owner's back, which looked very nice considering he was still wearing his elegant work clothes.

 _Handsome, even from the back,_ Yami mused, as he stepped carefully down the last step, watching his owner stride into the kitchen and pull the metal doors open forcefully.

Yami felt his spirits soar as he saw his owner pull out several large plates of meat, rice, and vegetables and his mouth began to water painfully.

He stood uncertainly by the refrigerator, watching his owner roll up the sleeves on his dress shirt.

Seto noticed Yami hovering awkwardly behind him and he pointed at the stools leaning against the kitchen counter. Sit.

Yami followed his owner's hand and nodded weakly, feeling his knees give out as he sat down in the tall chair, propping his face up on his elbows, watching his owner move around the kitchen with ease.

Yami saw his owner flip the switch on the stove and place a large pan across the fire and he blinked in surprise. What was he doing? Why was he heating up the food so elaborately?

Seto evenly cracked several eggs into the pan and scrambled them quickly over the low heat, adding a dash of salt and pepper, acutely aware that Yami was watching his every move. He slid a knife out from the drawer and bent over the chopping board, finely slicing the meat into thin strips, tossing them into the pan beside the eggs, listening for a sizzle. He turned up the heat and waited, leaning heavily against the counter as his mind raced with uncertain thoughts.

Yami felt his eyes and mouth water at the same time as the warm smell of juicy beef wafted up from the sizzling pan. Amazing! His owner was preparing a meal!  
Was this a normal occurrence?  
His owner knew how to cook food!  
Delicious food, at that!

Yami eyed the knife on the cutting board and he stared at the drawer it came from, counting the drawers alongside it, making sure he could remember the placement accurately. If he needed a weapon, this is where he could immediately get one.  
Yami decided the moment his door was unlocked, he would steal a small knife, and hopefully, it would go unnoticed.

Having anything sharp would make his escape a lot easier.

Yami watched his owner expertly stir neatly chopped vegetables into the large pan with the eggs and meat, his handsome face narrowed in concentration. The delicious smell of meat morphed into a thick, sweet smell as his owner added rice into the mixture and he was beginning to feel faint.

Suddenly, a sparkling plate of food appeared before him and Yami could barely contain his excitement. He stared at the colorful array of meats and vegetables mixed in with the rice, feeling his owner pull up a chair beside him and stick a spoon into his plate.

"Eat." Seto said plainly, sliding his own plate closer, watching Yami's eyes widen at the food.

Yami nodded weakly and gripped his spoon tightly, dipping his head down and beginning to eat in earnest. He could feel his eyes watering for real as the wonderful combination of rice and meat melted in his mouth. Amazing! Delicious...!

Seto nodded, feeling satisfied, he began to eat as well, acutely aware of Yami beside him, eating quickly but quietly. Out of the corner of his eye, Seto could see the bandages wrapped messily around Yami's wrist and he shifted uncomfortably, feeling guilty.  
He decided to set aside time every night to help Yami dress his wound.

Yami heard the soft pattering of footsteps and Mokuba appeared in the doorway, looking apprehensive.

"That smells good Seto!" Mokuba said nervously, staring at the large mountain of fried rice sitting in front of Yami, which was quickly vanishing.

Yami jerked his head up and stopped eating instantly. Mokuba was staring right at him…no, he was staring right at the food! He wanted some! Yami swallowed his mouthful too quickly, and his throat burned, causing his eyes to water painfully.

"Do you want some?" Seto asked tiredly, nodding at the pan cooling on the stove.

Mokuba shook his head tightly and gripped the doorsill, feeling himself heat up as Yami continued to stare at him.

"Tuck me in." Mokuba demanded, resisting the urge to glare at Yami.

Seto nodded gently and rounded off his meal with ease. He dabbed his lips with a napkin and walked over to Mokuba, feeling his younger brother grab his hand and lead him strongly towards the staircase.

Mokuba forcefully dragged his older brother into his room and he threw himself down onto the bed face down, feeling his eyes grow hot. That stupid foreigner was taking up way too much of Seto's time. Seto even cooked a meal for him!

Seto watched his younger brother fall heavily onto the bed and he bit back a smile, tugging the sheets out from beneath his brother's body, and giving them a light fluff.

Mokuba sat up suddenly, his eyes very wet at the corners as he spoke, "Why do you like him so much?!"

Seto blinked, and he gripped the edge of the sheets tightly, feeling offended. "I don't like him that much." He responded gruffly, attempting to pull the comforter over Mokuba's shoulders.

Mokuba crossed his arms and huffed, "Yes you do! You're buying him new clothes, hiring Miss Ao, and even cooking him food after you're tired from work!"

Seto could feel a nervous lump rising in his throat and he dismissed his younger brother's words with a quick shake of his head, "Good night Mokuba."

His younger brother gave him a long stare before disappearing beneath the covers in a rolled-up lump. "…Night."

Seto managed a weak smile, his heart threatening to explode out of his chest as he flipped the lights off and carefully closed the door behind him.

He almost had a heart attack when he saw Yami standing in the hallway behind him, a few feet away, hovering by the edge of the stairway railing, his angular violet eyes gleaming brightly at him in the semi-darkness.

"Y-Yami." Seto said, his mouth drying as he tried to calm the frantic pounding of his heart. Would it kill this kid to make some noise? Had he been standing there the whole time?

"Owner." Yami said firmly, forgetting to speak Japanese.

He had heard Mokuba throwing a tantrum inside his room, sounding whiny, clearly complaining about his presence in the house and he decided to make himself scarce for the night.

He stomach was pleasantly full.  
Now, he would study for the entire rest of the night.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Omdlkjghfkagqkwg At: **Animaniac1017** you are the stars in my sky. THANK YOU for editing this chapter so diligently.

To my dear readers: Please enjoy! Let me know what you think! Feed me your thoughts and reviews!

The more feedback you give, the faster I write.

Lots of love,

Ugli


	11. I’ve had enough

Yami walked carefully into his room and flipped the lights on, hearing his owner’s footsteps approach him quickly from behind.

Gritting his teeth, he whirled around and tried not to glare.  
What did his owner want?  
Why was he following him into the room?  
He wasn’t in the mood for anything dirty!

Seto noticed the boy visibly tensing and he pointed at his own wrist, making a wrapping motion. I’m going to bandage your wrist.

 _Oh_ , Yami thought quickly, feeling a rush of relief. That was fine. In fact, that was great. He had had a lot of trouble fixing the bandage with one hand.

Seto watched Yami nod stiffly and walk towards the nightstand where the tray of medical supplies was still neatly laid out.

Yami obediently sat down along the edge of the bed and held out his wrist. He turned his head away pointedly, feeling disgusted. His owner was going to receive a shock when he saw how horrific his wound looked.

Seto eased himself down beside Yami, feeling his weight sink into the mattress. He gripped Yami’s wrist gently, frowning as he watched Yami turn his head away, looking embarrassed.

Yami felt his owner carefully unwrap his wrist and he held his breath, expecting his owner to gasp or yell, but instead, his owner did neither, turning his wrist left and right, inspecting the black scabs with genuine concern.

Yami bit his tongue painfully and it took a great effort not to yank his arm away, feeling his owner nod and slide his phone out from his pocket to snap a photo of his wrist.

He felt his stomach clench and churn unpleasantly. This man…was some kind of…pervert! Photographing everything!

Seto quickly attached the photo in an email and saved it, reminding himself to send it to the dermatologist. He turned his attention back to Yami’s wrist, his anxiety rising when he saw that Yami’s hand had curled into a tight fist. Was he angry?

Seto glanced up quickly, reaching for the bandages and casually studying Yami’s flushed expression. No, the boy looked…annoyed.

 _Probably because he thinks he doesn’t help with the bandaging_ , he thought, carefully sterilizing the area, re-applying the ointment, and then neatly wrapping Yami’s arm with a fresh set of bandages.

Yami held his breath and tried not to feel anything.  
His owner’s hands were gentle on his arm and the pressure from the bandages felt calming. He felt his eyes sting and heat up with emotion. His owner was being kind…again!  
His owner had cooked them a meal and was now lovingly attending to his wound.  
  
Yami felt hot tears sliding down his face before he could stop them and he quickly rubbed them off his face, deeply embarrassed, feeling his gold bands scrape painfully across his cheek through the cloth of his sleeve.

Seto blinked and tried to suppress his panic as he saw tears dotting across the tops of Yami’s pants, soaking quickly into the fabric and leaving dark circular stains.  
Fuck.  
Why was he crying all of a sudden?  
Fuck.  
Did it hurt?

To his surprise, Yami’s tears vanished just as quickly as they had appeared and the boy smiled brightly at him.

 _Okay, weirdo._ Seto thought darkly, rising to his feet and moving towards the connecting door. He still needed to translate Yami’s letter from the other day, regarding that blackmailing asshole, Maeda.

Yami saw his owner get up to leave and his chest tightened with anxiety. His owner was acting very distant. He needed to stay in his owner’s favor and not let Mokuba win him over. He needed Seto to continue liking him, at least for now!

“Wait…!” Yami exclaimed, running forwards after his owner.

Seto heard Yami cry out and he gripped the door handle tightly, trying to slip into his room without Yami catching him, but it was too late. Yami stuck his arm past the door and pushed against it with all his might, desperately wondering why his owner was keen on shutting him out.

“What do you want?” Seto asked, feeling exasperated, swinging the door open so quickly, causing Yami stumbled forwards into the room.

Yami quickly regained his composure and straightened up, his owner’s words ringing in his ears. His owner had something along the lines of _, “What…?”_ and he had sounded angry.

“N-Nevermind!” Yami said anxiously, gripping his bandaged wrist tightly, and turning to dash back into his room. He felt a cold hand tighten around on his shoulder and his owner called him back in, sounding worried.

“Yami…!”

Yami grit his teeth and spun around on his heel, glaring up at his owner in frustration. _What?! What?_

Seto tried to calm himself down as he tried to understand what the fuck was happening. Yami wanted to come into his room…again! And he had clearly tried closing the door on him, but Yami had forced his way in, looking panicked, stammering something in Arabic, and then changed his mind.

What the…hell?!  
Fine. Fuck it.  
  
“I’ll leave the door open for you.” Seto said quietly, walking back towards his desk. He was too tired to care.

Yami stood very still, watching his owner sigh and walk away, sitting down gracefully behind his desk and sliding out a piece of paper, studying it intently.

Yami blinked rapidly and stared, realizing that it was the letter he had written yesterday.

His owner was reading his letter about that insufferable asshole, Rahim!

 _I’m staying to watch his reaction_ , Yami decided, stepping into the room and standing awkwardly in the center, eyeing his owner’s bed which looked warm and welcoming.

 _Maybe it is safe_ , Yami thought hopefully, but he slapped that notion out of his mind immediately. Just because he had laid in the bed twice, once naked, and once clothed --- without being dirtied, that didn’t make his owner’s bed a safe place to be.

Seto reached into his desk and thumped the Arabic dictionary onto it’s surface, watching Yami’s gaze travel wearily around the room, landing on his bed.  
  
He nodded encouragingly at Yami and flipped through the dictionary, finding several words and phrases, carefully piecing them together in his mind before speaking, “ _Go ahead. It is safe to sleep in my bed.”_

Yami felt his heart stop in his chest, and his ears began to ring. What?

Seto watched Yami blink and waver violently on the spot, looking as if he was about to fall over. 

 _Lies,_ Yami thought weakly, but he nodded and walked quietly towards the bed. He eased himself down onto the soft sheets, sitting resolutely upright and cross-legged, facing his owner.

Seto felt his eyelid twitch.  
Yami was now unnaturally alert and watching him closely.  
  
Fine, whatever.  
He dipped his head back down and continued to translate Yami’s letter sentence by sentence, deeply appreciating how neat his handwriting was.

Yami gripped his ankles and rocked back and forth nervously, staring at the TV screen, wondering if he could have access to it.

“Seto…?” He spoke up hesitantly and pointed at the TV screen, chancing a small, nervous smile.

His owner glanced up and nodded stiffly, sliding a hand into a drawer behind the desk and carelessly tossing him the remote. It bounced and landed softly at the edge of the bed. Yami dove at it eagerly, wrapping his fingers around it and tapping the power button.

The screen blinked on at a low volume and he felt his spirits rise. Now, he had access to two screens! The one here, and the one in his owner’s workplace!

Yami settled back into the fluffy pillows, his heart racing nervously in his chest as he dared himself to feel happy.

Seto felt a strange bubble of satisfaction rise up inside him as he saw Yami make himself comfortable in his bed and stare eagerly at the TV -- which was playing the evening news.

Ducking his head back down, he quickly finished translating the last few sentences in Yami’s letter before sitting back to read it over again.

_“Owner,_

_Thank you so much for the language lesson with Miss Ao._  
_I truly like her._  
_I will learn your culture and manner(isms) to the best of my ability._

_As for that terrible excuse for a human being, Rahim, let me start by saying he is pure evil. He was ill-intentioned and condescending during the lesson, intentionally sabotaging my time with Miss Ao, using weak insults._

_He said: Go back to your country, you will not survive here. You will be judged for your looks._  
  
_And I said: Does that mean you haven’t been judged by your looks?_

_He said: My advantage is that I am half-Japanese. Your disadvantage is that you are from the streets and you smell like filth._

_At this point, I was so angry I stood up and asked him to leave._

_Rahim remained sitting, smiling gleefully at me, telling me it was his word against mine. He even mentioned blackmail, saying I was dirty and (other insults)._

_I am grateful you showed him out.  
He tried his best to keep insulting me as he was standing beside you, so I told him to pick his dignity up from the floor before he left, also adding that he would die in hell as an unloved bastard._

_I never want to see that man again, please make it so._

_Also, thank you for access to the screen! I will enjoy it!_

_-Yami”_

Seto blinked and palmed his face, feeling his shoulders shake with an odd mixture of laughter and amazement.  
Holy fucking shit.  
This was…incredible!  
Yami was eloquent and extremely intelligent!

Seto felt another laugh threaten to escape his throat as he glanced down at the letter again thinking that Yami could give him a run for his money in terms of cursing and insults.

Seto sat up straighter, his stomach curling as he read the letter again for a third time. That asshole had also threatened to blackmail Yami.

 _I am definitely calling around to fuck his life up tomorrow,_ Seto thought viciously, setting the letter down carefully, and raising his head up to glance at Yami, who was enraptured by the evening news.

Yami felt his owner’s eyes on him and he sat up quickly, causing his face to heat up.  
Did his owner like the letter?  
  
He watched his owner slide a fresh sheet of paper out from the desk and flip through the dictionary, his hand moving evenly across the desk as he wrote.

Deeply curious, Yami slid off the bed and cautiously approached the desk and bit back a gasp. He watched his owner write fluidly in Arabic, his slender fingers tapping the dictionary and flipping through pages marked with brightly colored tabs.

 _Wow_ , Yami thought, awe-struck, catching a few words across the page.

_“….made me laugh….”_

Seto was buried so deeply in thought that he didn’t hear Yami approaching his desk. He finished dotting the last character on the sheet with a satisfied smirk, and before he had a chance to proofread it, the letter was snatched out of his hands.

“Hey!” He snapped, blinking in surprise as he watched Yami scan the paper hungrily. He felt his heart skip a beat as he stared at Yami’s delicate face, watching his eyes rapidly darting from left to right. He could read fast, holy shit!

Yami’s breath caught painfully in his throat as he carefully read his owner’s thin handwriting.

_“Yami,_

_My name is Seto, as I’m sure you know, so please call me Seto for fuck’s sake._  
_As for that ugly bastard, Rahim…_  
  
_He also came at me with a blackmail statement._

 _Your insults to him were well-deserved and they made me laugh. I honestly couldn’t have said it better myself._  
  
_We will never hear from Rahim again; I’ll personally make sure of it._

_Tomorrow morning, I will call around to make his life a living hell.  
I hate him just as much as you do, if not more._

_Tell me how your lesson went with Miss Ao today. She reports your progress to me, but I want to hear it from you directly._

_\- Seto”_

Yami took several deep breaths, feeling his head spin. Oh…! Oh, this was wonderful! Glorious! He felt like bursting from happiness. He wanted to dance and scream and shout at the top of his lungs.

His owner was going to personally make Rahim’s life a living hell! But more importantly, the wording of this letter sounded…human. It wasn’t a numbered list of rules, or short phrases.

Yami felt like crying and he clutched the letter to his chest, hiccupping in his excitement. He would keep this letter, and all future letters his owner would write to him. He would read them over and over again in his spare time.

“I’m keeping this.” Yami said numbly, quickly turning and rushing through the connected door back into his room. He folded the letter neatly into the drawer of his new desk and slid it shut, trembling with excitement.

Perhaps, being a companion to his owner wasn’t such a bad thing after all!

Yami hurried back through the door feeling airy and light headed, hastily climbing back up onto his owner’s bed, his knees sinking wonderfully into the mattress.  
  
The screen was in this room, and his owner had specifically said it was safe to be on this bed!  
_  
I can be happy here!_ He thought firmly, blinking up at the screen as his vision blurred with tears of relief. _Don’t cry. I won’t cry, because then he will think something is wrong._

Seto watched with increasing amusement as Yami dashed back into the room and made himself comfortable on the bed once more. Good. This was very good. It seemed that his letter had had a great effect on Yami.

Seto stood and stretched lightly, carefully unbuttoning his shirt and throwing it over his chair, feeling exhausted. Finally, his day was over. He had had a productive day at work and Yami was no longer acting like a scared wild animal.

He strode towards the bathroom and locked the door, quickly stepping out of his clothes and into the shower, sighing contentedly as the hot water poured over his body.

Yami sat very still, frozen in place. He had once again gotten a glimpse of his owner’s body when he had casually taken his shirt off and walked right past the screen.

Still shaking from the residual rush of adrenaline after reading his owner’s letter, Yami hugged himself, feeling his gold bands clink down along his arm. He lifted the covers and stuck his legs beneath them, hearing the water in the bathroom shut off as he did so.

Yami froze again, his heart racing as he had second thoughts about remaining in his owner’s bed. Maybe…he should go back into his own room for the night. He glanced up at the moving faces on the screen and grit his teeth.  
No. He would stay in this room, where the screen was.  
Access to this screen would help expedite his learning of the Japanese language.

The bathroom door swung open and his owner appeared in a cloud of hot steam. Yami blinked, trying very hard not to inhale the sweet scent rising up from the bedsheets as he stared at his owner’s broad back.

Seto cursed under his breath as he realized he was exposing himself in front of the foreigner. He had forgotten to bring a change of clothes into the bathroom.  
Way to set an example.  
Grabbing a shirt and set of pants out from his closet, Seto hastily got dressed, trying to ignore the heat from Yami’s gaze.

He spun around and saw Yami jerk his head away, his cheeks slowly reddening.

Deciding to ignore it, Seto draped the towel over his shoulders and made his way over to the bed, feeling his heart rate increase as Yami’s gaze intensified. He approached the edge of the bed and leaned forwards, placing his palms on the mattress, seeing Yami tense visibly.

Yami blinked and his swallowed dryly, watching his owner approach the bed with slow intent.

His owner instantly reminded him of a fox approaching its prey.

 _‘Safe on this bed’ was indeed a lie_ , Yami thought stiffly, immediately on guard. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge of the sheets, tensing his legs, ready to run.

Seto made sure to keep his eyes lowered, not making eye contact as he lifted the edge of the comforter and slid himself underneath it, making sure to sigh audibly as he leaned into the pillows, closing his eyes quickly.  
Hopefully this was convincing enough.

Yami let one leg fall off the side of the bed, his eyes darting to the connecting door leading back to his room, and then back to his owner, who was clearly settled in beside him.  
He watched with bated breath as his owner closed his eyes and sighed. Only the soft sounds from the TV drifted around them and Yami realized his owner really didn’t intend to do anything to him.

 _Thank god,_ Yami thought darkly, slipping his leg back into the comforter, still feeling agitated, but at least his owner was kind enough to keep his word.

Yami stared into his owner’s face, unable to tear his eyes away, seeing his pale skin glow light blue under the soft light coming from the screen in front of them.

Was he asleep? So quickly? Impossible. His owner was probably faking. He was smart, after all.

Just as that thought left Yami’s mind, his owner opened his eyes again slowly and smiled softly at him.  
Yami felt his heart flutter wildly in his chest and his stomach twisted strangely.  
No, this was bad.  
Too handsome.

Seto watched Yami’s cheeks turn pink again and he bit his tongue, resisting the urge to laugh. Fucking cute. He patted the pillow beside him, making sure to keep the corners of his mouth upturned. You can sleep here.  
And Seto patted the pillow again for emphasis, watching Yami’s angular eyes widen at him.

Yami tried to swallow the dry lump that was stuck in his throat but failed. He felt himself begin to nod before immediately stopping himself.

 _I’m not agreeing to anything!_ He thought viciously, thinking he ought to shake his head.

His owner seemed unperturbed, his eyes were fixed on the screen.

After a long moment, Yami relented, figuring it was better to lay closer his owner because it was cold, and not for any other reason.

A small bubble of triumph settled in Seto’s chest as he felt Yami inch closer towards him on the bed. He spied the remote sitting by his foot atop the comforter and he sat up slowly, reaching for it to change the channel.  
It had been a while since he had time to watch TV, and he quickly recalled the channel for children’s cartoons Mokuba enjoyed watching so much when they were young.

Yami frowned, seeing his owner grab the remote and rudely flip through the screen methodically, clearly searching for something.

 _I’ll get to see what he likes to watch_ , Yami thought evilly _, and I can learn more about him this way._

Yami saw the screen blink and pause at a brightly colored background, featuring a set of hand-stitched puppets which were flying across a pink velvet sky dotted with paper clouds.

 _What…the...?_ Yami felt his world stop as he stared at the strange images on the screen, slowly digesting what his owner had decided to watch.

It was…a children’s cartoon!  
Hilarious!

Yami could feel himself sweat as he tried to repress the laugh that was threatening to spill out from his chest.  
He was unsure if he could laugh.  
Would his owner be angry that he was laughing at his choice of show?  
  
The stitched puppets were now chasing after a felted donkey that was pulling an empty wooden cart. They were shouting at the donkey, sounding frantic, carrying vegetables in their tiny arms.

“Hey…” Yami said weakly, feeling his shoulders shake dangerously with mirth, forgetting for a moment that his owner couldn’t understand him, “You-You actually like this kind of show?”

Seto narrowed his eyes and sharpened his ears, carefully listening to Yami speak to him casually. It sounded like a question, and he sounded like was about to burst out laughing at any minute.

“Yes, this will be good for you.” Seto responded adamantly, realizing his response was akin to talking to a brick wall.

Yami couldn’t hold it in anymore, letting out peal after peal of voracious laughter, gripping his sides. He had heard his owner respond with, _“Yes….”_ And everything afterwards he couldn’t understand, but it was enough.

Startled, Seto sat up straight and watched Yami double over across the sheets, gripping his sides as his delicate frame shook with amusement, his laughter echoing around in the room.  
Seto could feel himself grow slightly lightheaded at the sound of Yami’s hearty laughter. He didn’t even know the boy _could_ laugh, because the only expressions he had seen so far were anger and fear.

“It’s not that funny, is it?” Seto asked tentatively, watching Yami take several deep breaths as he calmed down, his violet eyes shining with mirth. Beautiful…

Yami threw his owner a charming smile, his heart soaring.  
Everything was too good to be true.  
His owner, who usually showed a vicious and mean personality, had a child’s heart.

“Let’s watch…your show.” Yami gasped breathlessly, feeling his head spin as he realized he hadn’t laughed like that in a long time. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so hard.

Seto blinked and nodded stiffly, not understanding a word.  
Whatever.  
He leaned back into the pillows and relaxed, feeling relieved. As long as Yami wasn’t crying, screaming, trying to assault him, or trying to run the fuck off his property, he was fine with it.

Yami leaned further back into the pillows, feeling as if he was floating on a cloud. The bed was so soft and everything was warm. His owner was kind and this show was entertaining.  
The show continued to play, and Yami could feel himself sinking deeper into the pillows behind him as he began to feel drowsy.

He lifted his gaze towards his owner, noticing that he also looked sleepy.

Yami lifted the comforter and slid himself right beside his owner, gently resting his cheek against his owner’s shoulder, feeling incredibly blissful.

Seto froze, his heart thundering in his chest as Yami snuggled right up beside him, the tips of his spiky hair poking him in the ears and neck. Ow…?

 _I’ve decided, I like you._ Yami thought privately, feeling his eyelids grow so heavy it was impossible to keep them open. His owner’s sweet scent was engulfing him like a warm blanket.  
If being this man’s companion was going to be like this every day, then it was bearable. Actually, it was quite enjoyable…!

Seto turned his head slightly and stared down at Yami’s face, seeing his eyelashes flutter. Something possessed him to reach over and brush his knuckles across Yami’s cheeks and Seto saw Yami’s eyelids flutter even more.

He leaned down and pressed his lips across Yami’s soft cheek, kissing him gently.

Yami felt his mind hum and shut off pleasantly as his owner gently kissed him.  This was fine. Mouth-kissing would be nice too...!

Suddenly, warm hands wrapped around Seto’s shoulders and held him in place. He blinked frantically as Yami tilted his head up to meet his lips, and Seto could feel himself coming apart at the edges as their lips met. Yami’s lips were soft and warm and inviting. He tasted heavenly, and he was kissing slowly and wonderfully due to the sleepiness.

Holllyyy fuck….

Yami pulled away and began drifting off into a deep sleep, his arms still loosely wrapped around his owner’s neck.

Seto blinked, feeling oddly aroused but too sleepy to do anything about it.  
He was also struggling to stay awake. The TV was beginning to shift and blur in his vision, the sounds echoing hollowly around in his ears.

Yami’s warmth was soothing and Seto gave in to the drowsiness, closing his eyes and letting his breathing even out, the weight from Yami’s arms across his chest was somehow very reassuring.

* * *

 Isono stepped into the room carrying hot coffee on a tray, nearly dropping it in shock when he saw the tips of spiky red hair sticking out from underneath the sheets on Master Kaiba’s bed.

Sweating slightly, Isono rushed over to the desk and set the tray down heavily, almost tripping on his own feet when he also saw Master Kaiba’s head buried beneath the sheets.

Hastily moving towards the door, Isono shut it  quietly, feeling himself shake all over. Why was Master Kaiba indulging the foreigner so much? Even going as far as allowing him to sleep in his bed…!

Pushing the unpleasant thoughts out of his mind, Isono hurried down the stairs to prepare breakfast.

Seto heard the door shut softly and his opened his eyes quickly, stiffening when he saw Yami’s face inches from his. He stayed very still, breathing quietly, feeling dizzy as Yami’s exotic scent filled his lungs each time he inhaled.

Carefully extracting himself from beneath the sheets without disturbing Yami, he caught a whiff of coffee and he saw a fresh cup sitting on his desk.   
Isono had left the tray. Odd.

Dismissing it quickly, Seto walked into the bathroom to quickly freshen up and got dressed to leave. He grabbed his briefcase and slipped his laptop into it, staring at the tips of Yami’s spiky red hair sticking out from underneath his bed covers, still feeling oddly warm.

He downed his coffee and strode out the door, closing it quietly behind him.

Yami felt incredibly relaxed as he opened his eyes and sat up slowly, carefully taking in his surroundings.  
He was in his owner’s room.  
The door connecting into his room was wide open and Yami could see a tray full of breakfast foods on the low table by the couch.

He jumped out of bed and rushed into his room, sitting down on the floor and digging in, picking up the white slices of bread that were evenly sliced. Yami bit into one of them and chewed thoughtfully, throwing an uncertain glance behind him back into his owner’s room. His owner had left without waking him, and he was unsure what was in store for him today.

He quickly finished his food and stood up, testing his door, unsurprised to find that it was still locked. Yami ran into his owner’s room and tested his door, surprised to find that it was locked too!

Why would his owner’s door be locked??

 _The servant!_ Yami thought angrily, clenching his fists at his sides.

Yami was beginning to understand that the manservant wasn’t one who cleaned.  
He was definitely a head-servant of sorts, one who dictated what went on in the house when his owner was away.

 _I hate him_ , Yami thought viciously, stalking back into his room and throwing himself down into the chair at his desk. He picked up a pen and grabbed a textbook, flipping through it hastily, surprised to see that there was only one chapter left.

Yami ducked his head down and began to study, pushing his anger aside quickly. He carefully copied each sentence and read it aloud to himself quietly before moving on. He repeated several phrases, especially ones he found to be useful, and he committed them to memory.

After a while, he finished the chapter and Yami leaned back in his chair, deciding to write his own sentences.  
These ones he would write down on a separate pad.  
He would keep this one hidden from Miss Ao and his owner.  
  
This pad would contain sentences he needed to survive.  
  
Everything in the textbook said boring things like: _“Today, the sun was shining while I walked my dog with my sister.”_

He needed sentences that said, _“Get away from me. I need help and I’m being hurt.”_

Yami flipped through the dictionary carefully and began constructing several sentences he thought would be helpful. He could read more fluently now, so creating the sentences became easier to do.

 _“Don’t touch me, I hate that!”_  
  
“What are you doing?!”

_“Wait, stop it!”_

_“Get off me, get away from me….”_  
  
“Disgusting….”

Yami continued with phrases and words, writing so much that his pen ran out of ink.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he grabbed a new pen and carefully unscrewed the top, slipping out the empty ink filler.

He would switch out the insides so it would appear that he was only using one pen.

If his pens ran out, his owner would be immediately suspicious and ask to see proof of his studying. But if he showed his owner a worn pen, with a tip that “didn’t work,” Yami hoped that new pens would be bought for him immediately.

He stuck the empty ink filler into the new pen and tossed it back into the pouch with the others.  
There.  
No one would think to rummage through a bunch of new pens in a set.

He heard a soft knock at the door and Yami scrambled to his feet, surprised to see that it was the head servant, and not Miss Ao.

Yami watched him pick the tray up off of the table and start to leave the room.

“Please, wait...!” Yami said carefully, feeling his stomach twist at the strange sounds his mouth was making.

Isono froze but didn’t turn around, his blood running cold. Just listening to the boy speak without looking at his face, sounded as if someone native was talking to him.

“What is it?” Isono asked, feeling slightly afraid as he tried to keep his voice light. This boy was an extremely fast learner and Master Kaiba was carelessly handing him books, left and right!  
What if officers came to take this foreigner back to his country?  
What then?  
All this learning would’ve been for nothing.

“Miss Ao…?” Yami asked, mentally slapping himself for forgetting how to build a sentence starting with the words “w _here is…”._

“She is coming tomorrow.” Isono said stiffly, before hurrying out of the room, making sure to click the lock loudly behind him.

Yami caught the word, _“tomorrow…”_ and his heart sank into his stomach.  
Miss Ao would not be coming every day.  
That was fine.  
He was studying perfectly well on his own.  
Miss Ao had explained sentence structure well enough.

Yami sat back down at his desk and continued to study, feeling determined.

Before long, the room began to grow dark and Yami glanced up to look out his window, watching the sky turn orange.

His stomach grumbled with hunger and he ached to be outside.

Suddenly, he heard his door lock click open.

Yami quickly hid the practice sheets he had been writing and leapt out of his seat, expecting to see the head servant. Instead, nothing. All was quiet.

No one opened his door.

Yami cautiously approached the door and turned the handle, feeling himself tremble with shock as he managed to pull the door open.  
  
Who had unlocked his door?!

He stuck his head out and peeked into the hallway, seeing Mokuba’s shadow disappear down the hall and into his room.

Yami felt a wave of immense gratitude wash over him and he quickly stepped out of his room, closing the door carefully behind himself, making sure to turn the lock.  
  
If the servant walked by and saw the door was unlocked, he’d be in even bigger trouble.  
  
He would go and thank Mokuba now.

Yami dashed down the hallway and knocked gently on Mokuba’s door.  
  
Mokuba pulled the door open a slight crack, looking worried. “What?” he said stiffly, wrinkling his nose.

 _Wow,_ Yami thought, _this child is picking up mannerisms from our owner._

“Thank you so much.” Yami whispered fervently, smiling and repeating a different variation of the phrase, unsure of how else to express his gratitude, “Thank you very much!”

Mokuba pulled his door open a little wider, looking stunned. “Um…you’re welcome.”  
Did Seto know Yami’s door was locked when he left for work this morning?  
Or had Isono purposely locked it again after Seto left?  
Isono seemed to really dislike Yami given how he was directly disobeying Seto’s request to keep the door unlocked.

“A-Are you hungry?” Mokuba asked carefully, watching the foreigner stare right at him and nod stiffly once. Did he understand?

Footsteps were coming up the stairs and Yami heard a slight cough.

Mokuba saw Yami’s eyes widen with panic as Isono’s cough echoed up from the grand staircase.  
Without thinking, Mokuba grabbed Yami by the arm and pulled him inside his room, pushing him up against the wall behind the door and they waited breathlessly as Isono walked by, carrying a tray full of food.

Mokuba watched as Isono clicked the lock open and disappeared into Yami’s room.  
He blinked, registering that Yami had re-locked the door after he had come out.  
Holy crap.  
Was Yami actually trying to fool Isono into thinking he was still in his room?!  
  
Mokuba swallowed nervously and watched Yami bite his lower lip, beginning to look increasingly more frightened.

Isono came rushing out of Yami’s room, skidding on the carpet in his haste, looking frantic.  
  
Mokuba gripped the doorknob tightly and swung his door open wider, making sure Yami was fully hidden behind his door.

“What’s wrong Isono?” Mokuba asked loudly, trying to sound unconcerned. His heart was threatening to explode out of his chest.

“He’s gone! He’s gotten out! The foreign boy! Did you hear the front door open or close, young Mokuba?” Isono asked, wringing his hands and fumbling around in his pockets for his mobile phone.

“No.” Mokuba said lazily, rolling his eyes. He was so nervous about lying to Isono, he could feel Yami’s heat radiating from behind the door. “Who cares anyway?”

Yami held his breath and watched Mokuba’s tiny hand tighten around the golden handle of the door as he exchanged words with the head-servant who sounded frantic and angry.  
The child was doing his best to sound bored.

 _He’s helping me!_ Yami realized with a jolt and he did his best to stay very still, staring at the lacquered wood of the door.

“Well, if you see him, tell me.” Isono said hastily, and he rushed down the stairs to alert the other servants on the property.

Mokuba bit his tongue as he watched Isono rush down the stairs and he quickly shut the door to his room, watching Yami slide to the floor weakly, trying his best to smile up at him.

“What are you doing?” Mokuba asked bluntly, swallowing nervously as he watched Yami’s knees tremble visibly as he sat on the floor, looking terrified.  
The fight last night in Seto’s room about Isono locking Yami’s door was still happening and Yami seemed to be really scared of Isono.

Yami blinked and felt his strength slowly return as he realized he could understand Mokuba almost perfectly. _“What are you doing…?”_ Was a phrase he had just copied and read out loud over fifty times….

Yami racked his brain as he tried to answer Mokuba as normally as he could, “None...No-Nothing.”

Mokuba blinked as he processed that they were actually speaking to each other, casually.  
   
_“What are you doing?”  
“…Nothing.”_

“Okay then.” Mokuba said, shrugging, “You know you can’t go anywhere, right? Isono just reported you missing throughout the house.”

Yami couldn’t understand this at all, but he nodded stiffly, his eyes drifting around Mokuba’s room, eyeing the enormous bookshelf sitting against the wall beside a large bed.

Mokuba saw Yami nod and stare right past him, right at his books.  
Did he want to read one?  
He could have them.  
Those were old books anyway.

“You can have them.” Mokuba said carelessly, moving to sit at his desk. He really needed to study for the test he had tomorrow. Seto had promised a trip to the beach!

Yami blinked slowly, trying to understand Mokuba. _“You can….”_

“What?” Yami asked slowly, shaking his head as he curled his tongue around the language, glad that he had spent the entire day memorizing words he could use in conversation, “I don’t understand.”

Mokuba almost fell out of his chair when he heard Yami speak again, sounding perfectly fluent. The lessons with Miss Ao were probably really helpful.

“Yours.” Mokuba said, pointing at his bookcase, remembering that Seto had done the same action yesterday in the kitchen and Yami had understood.

Yami leapt to his feet and raced over to the bookcase, unable to believe his ears.  
  
“Really?! You’re lending me your books?” he asked excitedly, watching Mokuba stare at him with an astonished expression, which quickly morphed into confusion.  
  
Wrong language.

Yami tried again.  
  
“Yes?” Yami said, furrowing his brow, then remembering how to say, “Really?”

“Yes.” Mokuba said, blinking rapidly as he tried to hide his surprise.

Yami looked like he was about to cry.

Mokuba swiveled his chair around to face his desk, dipping his head down over his book and feeling his cheeks heat up.  
  
Why did Isono hate Yami? Was it because he acted like this? But even Seto liked him.

Dismissing the thought, Mokuba picked up his pencil and continued writing.

Yami scanned the colorful books on the shelf, feeling his excitement rise to an all-time high. He really wanted to read a fun children’s book from this country!

He picked one up that had odd symbols on the spine and he sat down on the floor, right beside a low table, which was very similar to the one he had in his room.

Yami flipped the book open, expecting to see colorful pictures, but was surprised when he saw numbers and more shapes. He blinked and stared up at the bookshelf as it suddenly dawned on him…all of these books were textbooks!

Astounded, Yami glanced over at Mokuba who was diligently bent over his desk, writing fervently.  
Incredible.  
  
This owner valued education and would not tolerate stupidity.

 _Can I learn this?_ Yami wondered faintly, flipping to the front of the book and staring at the first chapter.

Even if he couldn’t read the words, he could do the numbers, right?

Mokuba felt his phone buzz in his pocket and he picked it up without looking at the screen, knowing it was Seto.

“I’m studying.” Mokuba said automatically, hoping it would somehow help convince his brother to take them to the beach even if he didn’t get an A on the test.

“Is Yami in your room?” Seto asked quickly, and it didn’t sound like a question.

Mokuba frowned, “Yeah. He’s not missing if that’s what Isono thinks.”

Yami glanced up curiously, watching Mokuba speak on a mobile phone. He stared at the phone in Mokuba’s hands, feeling slightly jealous. Maybe if he studied more than Mokuba, he would be given access to a phone too…!

“Good.” Seto said stiffly, and there was as slight pause, “Did he catch Yami running outside?”

“…I dunno….” Mokuba said nervously, twirling his pen in his fingers. He wasn’t sure which answer would get Yami into trouble; “yes” or “no”?  
Why did Yami want to run outside anyway?  
Did he think he could go back to his country just by running outside?

“You don’t know.” Seto repeated, sounding unamused.

“Yeah, I don’t know! I didn’t hear the front door open or close. Now stop bothering me so I can study!” Mokuba said angrily, thinking about hanging up on his brother. He didn’t want to be involved in the stupid door lock argument. He wanted to go to the beach!

“Wait, wait,” Seto said hastily, sounding apologetic, “What’s he doing now?”

“Who, Yami or Isono?” Mokuba asked irritably, seeing Yami jerk his head up to stare as he said his name.

“Yami.” Seto growled impatiently.

“He’s...” Mokuba felt his heart skip a beat as he saw Yami holding one of Seto’s old math books. “He’s…studying math?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Seto sighed, rubbing his temples tiredly.

“Telling you.” Mokuba said carefully, watching Yami blink curiously up at him from the floor, his violet eyes wide. “He’s looking at Geometric Calculus.”

Seto blinked and felt his head spin.  
What?

“Give him something easier, like elementary arithmetic.” Seto said, feeling amazement seep into his body. Was that the first book Yami reached for when he went into Mokuba’s room? He wasn’t interested in the video games or the TV?

“Why? He’s not a baby.” Mokuba retorted, thinking Seto was treating this foreigner like a child who was younger than he was.  
Seto was inviting back Miss Ao and also giving Yami math problems like 3+1!  
Yami wasn’t stupid, at least Mokuba didn’t think so.

“Just…do it. Please.” Seto said, gritting his teeth, “And eat something. I’m coming back later than usual tonight.”

He hung up quickly and Mokuba clicked his tongue in annoyance, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He slid off his chair and tried to give Yami a small smile.

Yami blinked and nodded, holding his fingers up to his ear in the gesture of a phone, “Seto?”

Mokuba stared, feeling the hairs stand up along his arms. He nodded and made the same gesture in return, nodding, “Yes, that was Seto.”

Yami understood the words _“yes”_ and his owner’s name.  
So, the phone was his owner’s direct connection to Mokuba.  
Yami wondered when he would be important enough to get a phone.

He watched Mokuba pad across the carpet towards the bookcase, yanking out two, thin, blue books with large numbers across their fronts.

Mokuba set the books down in front of Yami and made a writing gesture. “Seto wants you do to these instead, but I don’t care, you can do whatever you want.”

Yami blinked and nodded slowly, Mokuba’s words filling his ears too quickly. He couldn’t understand anything other than their owner’s name at the beginning of the sentence, so he took a guess.

His owner had called Mokuba to check on him. He had heard his name, so their owner was ordering Mokuba to give him different books.

He watched Mokuba rummage around in his desk drawer and pull out a stack of plain white sheets and two pencils.

“Here, if you need them.” Mokuba said carelessly, sliding the paper across the coffee table and saw the pencils roll off the edge.  
  
Yami caught them easily before they hit the carpet.

Mokuba stared, blinking rapidly. Did Yami play sports? He had caught the pencils so fast that he didn’t even see his arm move.

He was beginning to see why Seto thought Yami could be dangerous.

Mokuba grabbed his English books and thumped them down onto the low table across from Yami, aiming to stay close so they could study together.

Yami smiled encouragingly when he saw Mokuba join him on the table and he felt his spirits rise. This child was really starting to like him! He glanced down at the thin books Mokuba had given him and flipped them open, frowning when he realized it was arithmetic meant for children!

They were all simple problems, like adding two numbers, adding three numbers, multiplying and dividing. There were even pictures of fruit, explaining how multiplying and dividing worked.

Yami narrowed his eyes and shoved the book aside, resenting his owner.  
Did his owner think he had the intelligence of a child? How insulting.

He would disobey and choose to complete the book with the numbers and shapes instead.

Yami heard Mokuba snicker and he smiled back at him ruefully, watching Mokuba tap the book with the shapes with a large grin and push it closer towards him.

 _Thank you_ , Yami thought privately, flipping back to the first page. He copied the first problem and felt his stomach grumble loudly. Mokuba heard this and stood quickly.

Yami watched Mokuba pull the door open cautiously and look around, clearly searching for the head servant. He saw Mokuba dash out the door and into his room. Yami tilted his head, confused.  
Why was Mokuba going into his room?

The child returned just as quickly, carrying a large silver tray, heavily laden with food.

It was the supper the head-servant had left for him in his room!  
How kind of Mokuba to bring it to him!

“Thank you!” Yami said happily, feeling his mouth water excitedly.

Mokuba scanned the tray and snatched away a small bowl of grapes, “Mine.”

Yami nodded, unfazed. Grapes as payment for bringing the entire tray of food without being seen by the servant was more than fair.

Yami began to eat, keeping the pencil in hand, and working the problem easily.  
He was beginning to enjoy himself.  
  
The room was warm and comfortable.  
Mokuba’s company was pleasant and he had interesting material to turn over in his brain.

The shapes were fun to play with and before he knew it, he had gone through the entire stack of paper that Mokuba had given him. Each page was covered with his drawings of the shapes, along with the answers to the questions.  
  
Yami wondered how he could know they were correct….

Mokuba paused and glanced up, seeing Yami suddenly look very confused.

“What?” He asked, forgetting for a moment that Yami couldn’t understand him.

Yami swallowed nervously, unsure of what to say.  
He was fresh out of conversational phrases.  
The only thing he could think to say was, “I don’t know…”

“You don’t know…which one?” Mokuba prompted, glancing at the sheets of paper covered with neat lines and numbers, feeling his amazement rise. The way Yami had laid out the problems looked eerily similar to Seto’s methods.

Yami tapped the book uncertainly and pointed at each solution, and Mokuba watched Yami draw a question mark after each one.

Mokuba blinked, trying to understand.  
Yami clearly didn’t have any trouble with the problems…they were all completed!  
  
Oh!  
He wanted to know if they were right!  
The question marks next to completed problems were asking to be checked!

“I’ll grade it.” Mokuba said gleefully, snatching the papers up from underneath Yami’s nose and grabbing the textbook. He stacked it on top of his English book and scanned the questions eagerly. This was fun. He could play teacher!

Yami held his breath, watching Mokuba smirk and grab the book, flipping through it with ease and drawing checkmarks after each of the problems.

Mokuba went through the answers methodically, using the answer key at the back of the book, feeling Yami’s eyes on him as he did everything.  
It made him feel important.

Mokuba puffed his chest out and drew a big happy face at the top of Yami’s paper, handing it back to him with a smile. “You got this page all correct! Next.”

Yami blinked rapidly, feeling his chest swirl with excitement.  
How adorable!  
This child was checking his work with drawings!  
  
Yami eagerly handed Mokuba the rest of his stack, watching him add checkmarks and circle one problem.

Mokuba still drew a happy face at the top but pointed at the problem he circled, drawing a sad face right next to it.  
  
Yami nodded solemnly and accepted the paper back respectfully with both hands, feeling another laugh threatening to explode out of his chest.  
  
So, he had gotten a question wrong, but this child was being so cute, he couldn’t help but smile.  
  
Mokuba continued to check Yami’s problems, amazed that Yami had completed problems all the way up to chapter 5!  
How long had they been studying?!  
Mokuba glanced out the window, noticing it was completely dark outside and he could see some stars dotting the sky. Wow, it was late!

He drew a happy face on the last paper Yami had done and he slid it across the table, digging his phone out from his pocket to check the time.  
  
12:28 AM

Whoa. It was way past bedtime.

Yami fanned through the sheets happily, enjoying all the cute happy faces Mokuba had drawn across the top. Was this what it was like to have a little brother?

Mokuba shoved his phone right in front of Yami’s face, almost shouting, “Sleep! We need to sleep!” Seto might actually get angry if he knew they weren’t asleep by the time he got back! It was past midnight!

Yami blinked and read the time across Mokuba’s phone, not understanding at all.

Mokuba tucked his hands under his cheek and made deep breathing motions, closing his eyes tightly and opening them again. Sleep!

Yami understood immediately and he watched Mokuba run over to the window, glancing down into the dark garden below. He stood and walked over to the window too, seeing two spotlights coming up the driveway.

Mokuba suddenly looked panicked, “Crap! Seto’s back! He’s gonna kill us for staying up late!” He frantically made the sleeping motion again and Yami mirrored his look of panic almost instantly, nodding and running to the door, almost tripping in his haste.

“Wait!” Mokuba cried, grabbing the math book and tossing it across the room.  
  
It landed at Yami’s feet with a heavy thunk and Yami scooped it up gratefully, nodding in thanks. He peeled the door back to check the hallway for the head servant.  
All was quiet.

“Go! Get out!” Mokuba cried, jumping into his bed and rolling himself up in the covers.

Yami grit his teeth and understood that Mokuba was telling him their owner would be angry they weren’t asleep by the time he returned. He sprinted through the hallway and back into his room, quickly shutting the door, standing fearfully in the dark, realizing he couldn’t turn on the lights without his owner seeing his window from the outside.

He could hear voices and the footsteps of many people outside and Yami moved towards the window, peering out cautiously.

Groups of servants were standing and bowing to the owner, illuminated by the headlights on the car, looking very solemn. The head servant looked frantic, patting his brow with a white handkerchief while his owner swept out of the car, ignoring them all.

Yami bit his lower lip and shoved the math book under the bed before climbing on top of the mattress and sliding underneath the sheets. It was freezing!  
  
The mattress was cold, the sheets were cold, everything was cold!

 _Who knew that sleeping in such a large bed could be so terrible?_ Yami thought miserably, bringing his knees up to his chest.

He shut his eyes tightly and heard footsteps quickly approaching his door.

The door swung open loudly and Yami tried his best to remain still, forcing himself to keep his breathing even. He could hear the manservant speaking quickly, still sounding panicked as the lights were turned on.  
  
Yami kept his eyes firmly closed, feigning sleep.

“…and when I came up to bring him dinner, he was gone!” Isono said breathlessly, his hand sliding past the switch as the lights flickered on.

Seto kept his expression neutral as he saw the tips of Yami’s spiky hair sticking out from underneath the sheets.

“You were saying…?” Seto said dryly, walking into the room and eyeing the stack of practice sheets sitting neatly atop the language textbook.

Isono had texted him in the middle of a meeting earlier that evening, sounding frantic, claiming, _“Emergency! The boy has escaped!”_ And the first thing Seto had done was access the GPS on Yami’s bracelets, seeing the two red dots sitting together in Mokuba’s room.

Judging by Isono’s wording of the message and his panicked reaction, Kaiba figured Isono had kept Yami locked in his room, going against his orders.

“He-He…” Isono faltered, patting his chest tightly as his heart was racing with a mixture of anger and relief. Thank goodness.  
He had called all the servants in the house to search the property, fearing that the boy had somehow scaled the garden walls, but he had returned to his room willingly!

“Did he eat?” Kaiba asked, sounding angry.

Isono swept his gaze around the room, his heart falling to his feet when he noticed the food, along with the tray, had vanished.

“I-I don’t know.” Isono stammered, wringing his hands nervously, feeling his annoyance rise. This boy was clever! He had fooled him into thinking the room was empty! Had he been hiding under the bed? He had also somehow taken the food too, without leaving a trace!

They were also talking very loudly.  
There was no way the boy could be sleeping through this.  
He was faking sleep.

“Well, there’s no problem here.” Kaiba said blandly, walking through the adjoining door and shrugging off his blazer. He was fucking tired and he needed to check in on Mokuba.

“G-Goodnight.” Isono murmured, stepping out of the room hastily and turning the lock out of habit.

Seto heard the lock click and he lost his temper. Forgetting that Mokuba and Yami were asleep, he shouted over his shoulder, “Isono! Leave the goddamn door unlocked!”

Yami felt ice shoot through his core as he heard his owner raise his voice so loudly, the bedframe seemed to shake.  
He sat up quickly, his heart thundering loudly in his chest as he stared at his owner, who was standing angrily in the doorway of the connecting door, looking incensed.

Yami blinked, his owner’s voice ringing in his ears.  
Isono. Isono.  
That was the manservant’s name!  
Why hadn’t he caught it sooner?  
Even Mokuba had said it earlier, coupled with his name!

Yami heard the lock click loudly and the manservant stuck his head back into the room, also looking angry. What was happening?! A fight?!

“Master Kaiba, we agreed to lock this door at night!” Isono insisted, shaking his head.

“That was when we agreed to keep the door _un_ locked during the day.” Kaiba hissed, loosening the tie around his neck in a controlled rage. “And if he kills anyone while we’re sleeping, you’re first in line, you old man!”

Yami blinked and blinked, hearing his owner say familiar words which he had learned earlier that day. _“Kill...sleeping, you old man…!”_  
  
Why was his owner threatening his own servant with death? Had he done something wrong?

Isono set his jaw and gripped the door handle tightly, realizing he had made a mistake in his wording when he had contacted Kaiba about the boy “escaping.”  
  
“Fine. I will leave it unlocked for tonight.” Isono said stiffly, “Tomorrow night, I will lock it.” And he slammed the door shut so hard, the crystals on the chandelier above them tinkled.

Seto sighed and palmed his face heavily. He walked back to his room and into the bathroom, avoiding Yami’s curious stare.

Yami leaned back into the bed, his heart pounding furiously as he tried to understand what had just happened. He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down, listening to the sound of running water coming from his owner’s room.

Seto stepped out of the shower, drying himself hastily before getting dressed.  
  
He carelessly toweled his hair dry and strode out of the bathroom, walking out the door and down the hallway towards Mokuba’s room.

He quietly leaned the door open and flipped the lights on, staring at the unmoving lump underneath the covers. His gaze landed on the neat stack of papers sitting on the low table.  
Seto bent forwards to pick it up, his heart stopping in his chest as he scanned the pages filled with complex diagrams, algorithms, and graphs.  
  
The numbers were small, round, and neat.  
Yami’s handwriting.  
  
Large happy faces were drawn across the tops of the papers and Seto furrowed his brow, confused. He scanned the pages again, noting the small question marks after each completed answer, and then a sloppy checkmark, or a sad face beside the problems that were done incorrectly. Mokuba’s drawings.  
  
Seto felt his heart race as he sifted through the papers again, unable to believe his eyes. If he was understanding this correctly, Mokuba and Yami were getting along! Were they…studying together?!

The lump on the bed shifted slightly and Seto tucked the pages underneath his arms. He walked towards his younger brother, watching him turn to smile sleepily at him from the bed.

“Seto?” Mokuba mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes. “You’re back.”

Seto bent down and kissed Mokuba gently on the cheek, tucking the covers tightly underneath his chin, “Yes. Goodnight Mokuba.”

He watched his brother’s eyes flutter shut and he turned to quickly leave the room, quietly turning the light off and shutting the door.

* * *

  **Author’s note:**

HOLY CRAP THANK YOU **ANIMANIAC1017** for being such an amazing human and editor...! (HUGS!!!!)

Mokuba and Yami progress! Yay!

Finals are kicking my butt, please excuse the late updates.

Let me know what you guys think!!! (hearts and hugs!!)

Love,

Ugli


	12. I don’t want it anymore

Seto strode through the hallway back into his room, biting back a surprised gasp as he saw Yami sitting on his bed once again, remote in hand, tapping excitedly through the channels on the TV.

Yami dropped the remote in shock when he saw his owner step into the room, staring right at him. Frozen with panic, Yami stared back at his owner with wide eyes.  
He thought his owner was going to enjoy Mokuba's hole!  
Were they done already?!

Seto waved the math sheets in front of him casually and walked towards his desk, noticing that Yami was once again on guard.

Yami blinked, staring at the sheets covered in his own numbers.

Seto sighed and sat down in his chair, pulling out the Arabic translation dictionary, the sounds of the TV ringing in his ears. He studied a few phrases, flipping back and forth between pages, memorizing the characters and sounds. Exhaustion was settling heavily on his shoulders.

Yami watched his owner flip through the dictionary; he was sitting very still for a very long time, looking worn out but determined. Was his owner studying the language?

 _"_ _Do you want a teacher for this subject too?"_ Seto asked slowly, feeling his tongue twist oddly around the new sounds that were coming out of his mouth.

Yami kept his eyes on the TV and didn't move, shocked to the core. His owner could somehow speak his language perfectly, using only the dictionary!

 _"_ _Yami, I'm talking to you. Fucking look at me,"_ Seto said stiffly, slamming the dictionary shut and moving to stand.

Suddenly very afraid, Yami slid off of the bed and stood by the side, his knees trembling as he stared into his owner's handsome face, which was frowning at him.

 _"_ _I-I am…looking at you,"_ Yami managed, swallowing the thick lump that was choking him as he spoke. His owner was fluent in cursing too! How terrifying!

 _If I curse back at him, that means he'll understand me perfectly_ , Yami realized with a terrible jolt.

 _"_ _Yes or no?"_ Seto asked, fully aware that Yami was very shaken. Good. That meant he was being understood.  
The boy was staring with eyes so wide, he could see the whites all around his dark violet irises.

Yami tried to calm his pounding heart as he fully registered what his owner was asking.  
Did he want a teacher for…what subject? The numbers and shapes?  
It didn't matter.  
The answer was yes.  
Yes, to any teacher, for any other subjects!  
If his owner wanted to educate him further, then he would willingly cooperate!

 _"_ _Yes,"_ Yami whispered fearfully, unaware that he was gripping the hem of his shirt so tightly his palms were sweating.

"Good. That's all I wanted to hear." Seto said arrogantly, reverting to Japanese and moving to sit back down at his desk. He slid his phone out and tapped around on the screen, searching for the contact number for one of his previous math tutors.

Yami bit his tongue painfully, feeling his eyes water. That was terrifying. He liked it better when his owner didn't speak at all.

He stared at the TV, the faces blurring mightily in his vision.  
The newscaster was talking very quickly, but the screen suddenly changed and began playing the children's cartoon with the stitched puppets.

Astounded, Yami stared at the remote which lay at on the bed, untouched, watching his owner put his phone in his pocket and move towards the bed.  
H-How?!  
Had his owner changed the TV by using his phone?  
Or with the power of his mind?!

Was there a second remote?

Yami's fear quickly evaporated as his mind spun with unanswered questions.

Seto slipped underneath the comforter and shivered. Fuck, the bed was cold. He slipped his phone out once more and adjusted the temperature of the room, watching Yami move quietly towards the connecting door, aiming to go back into the other room.

Seto grit his teeth and patted the spot beside him on the bed, calling out, "Yami."

Yami swallowed tensely and turned around, watching his owner pat the bed and point at the TV as if he was saying, "Sit here and watch this with me."

"Come on." Seto said quietly. He watched Yami hesitate for a long moment before approaching him cautiously, hovering by the edge of the bed before climbing in beside him.

Yami slid so deeply beneath the covers that only the tips of his spiky hair protruded from the edge of the comforter.

He felt his cheeks heating up so much that his eyes burned as his owner's sweet scent drifted up around him.  
He hated himself.  
Why did he have to do everything this man asked of him?  
He wanted to be left alone for the night.  
Why did he have to enjoy the way his owner smelled?  
He wanted to cry himself to sleep, undisturbed.  
Why couldn't his owner smell as foul as the words he used?

Yami cursed himself as he felt hot tears slide down his face, pooling wetly beneath his ears, staining the pillow.

Seto blinked, watching Yami cocoon oddly underneath the covers.

He gave the cocoon a light pat, trying to guess where Yami's shoulder might be. "Yami…"

Yami heard his owner speak his name gently and he shook his head furiously, feeling his entire body heat up with embarrassment and anger. He didn't want to show his owner he was crying. He was being stupid.

It was getting hot and stuffy underneath the covers.  
The thickness made it hard to breathe.

"Yami…?" Seto repeated worriedly, giving the rolled up lump a gentle shake.  
Yami didn't move.

Seto gripped the top edge of the comforter and gave the sheets a hard tug, watching Yami's face appear beneath him, his cheeks shining with tears.

Seto blinked and felt his chest tighten with panic.  
This was bad. Why was he crying?

"Don't cry." Seto said stupidly, peeling the covers back even further, and watching Yami press a hand to his mouth to suppress a hiccupping sob.  
Oh fuck.

Yami's shoulders shook violently and he found that he couldn't stop crying. He tried to hide his face in his hands, but they were pulled away gently. Somehow, that made him cry even harder.

He heard his owner speak kindly to him and a cold hand on his back helped him sit up.

Yami took deep gasping breaths, staring down at his own fists which were gripping the sheets, his tears dotting the surface as they streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Suddenly, his owner pulled him into a crushing embrace, and he felt strong arms wrap around his body, holding him steady.

Yami tried his best to hold his breath, to hold in the sob that was rising up from his chest, but he failed. It was like a stopper had been pulled, and he was crying all the tears he had been holding in since the very beginning.

They were tears of fear, happiness, despair, relief, and frustration.

Yami felt as if he was crying out every emotion he had ever felt in his entire life.

It suddenly hit him that going home was no longer an option.  
His world had changed forever and he wasn't adapting fast enough.  
He was going to live in this country forever, or die trying to leave.

His face was pressed into his owner's shoulder and Yami could feel himself exploding from the inside, no longer trying to stifle his own sobs.  
This man was kind…! His owner, Seto.  
He was trying to help, by giving him language lessons, and hiring all sorts of teachers for all kinds of subjects. That was probably why Mokuba studied hard too.

After a while, Yami finally managed to calm himself down. He could feel his lungs hurting as his owner leaned back slightly and he could see the dark stain of his tears sitting in a large, wet patch on his owner's shirt.

Yami trembled, thankful that he had managed to stop crying, feeling his eyelids swell as he blinked and his face stung from his tears.

Seto carefully slid out of the bed and walked into the bathroom. He grabbed a small washcloth and dipped it under a rush of steaming hot water before returning to the bed and handed it to Yami.

Yami gently lifted the hot washcloth from his owner's hands and pressed it against his face, feeling himself growing calmer and calmer.  
The heat from the cloth was helping immensely.  
Yami turned his face gingerly and rubbed at his swollen eyelids.

His owner's hand pressed into his face, holding the hot cloth firmly against his skin.

"Don't rub your eyes." Seto said stiffly, watching the boy take a deep breath and exhale slowly into the washcloth.

Yami felt his owner press the cloth tighter into his face and the heat seeped evenly into his swollen cheeks. After a while, the cloth left his face and the warm air in the room felt balmy against his skin.

Yami felt instantly refreshed and he sat up straighter, blinking slowly, and forcing himself to take deep, even breaths.

That was horrible. He hadn't cried like that in a long time.  
In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he had cried like that.

Deeply embarrassed, Yami lowered his head and moved to lean into the pillows.

"Wait…" Seto said quickly, moving towards the door. "Let's get something to drink."

Yami blinked, only understanding the word, "wait."

Seto pointed at the door and gestured for Yami to follow. Yami slid out of the bed, feeling his legs shake as they hit the floor and he followed his owner out the door.

They made their way quietly down the large staircase and into the dining area, which was lit up with lowlights.

Yami appreciated the soft glow of the warm yellow lights coming from behind each of the white cabinets. Pretty….

He watched his owner swing the refrigerator open and pull out a square bottle of what looked like medicine.  
Yami blinked. Were they going to be drinking this?

His owner grabbed a second dark colored bottle and set them on the counter.

What was happening?

Seto popped the cap off the soda and handed it to Yami, watching Yami's lower lip tremble as he blinked his large, violet eyes. Drink.

Yami shook his head tightly, feeling his anxiety rise. What was this strange dark colored drink?! Medicine?

Seto took a sip first and then handed it back to Yami, watching him nod and accept it with both hands.

Yami took a tentative sip, incredibly surprised to find that it was fizzy and sweet. Smiling slightly, he took another long sip, watching his owner unscrew the cap off the square bottle and grab a round glass from the cabinets.

Seto poured half a glass and capped the liquor quickly. It had been a while since he had behaved this destructively. He had vowed not to touch alcohol since Yami had arrived in the house...but he was breaking that personal rule quickly.

Yami stared at the amber liquid in the cup and his owner slid it towards him, nodding and pointing at both drinks. Drink both.

Seto watched Yami hesitate and shake his head. Biting back a frustrated sigh, he grabbed the glass off the counter and took one large gulp, feeling the liquid burn his throat. He handed the glass to Yami, watching him stare into the cup.

 _Drink…._ Seto growled internally, tapping the back of Yami's hand and pushing the glass up to his lips.

Yami felt his eyes water as he caught a whiff of the liquid. He trembled and gripped the glass tightly.  
This was…hard liquor!  
He had only tasted this one other time in his life, when he had stolen a bottle off of a merchant's cart, and he'd had to hide from marketplace security for a whole week afterwards!

Without wasting a second, Yami downed the entire glass in two gulps, appreciating the way his tongue and mouth burned as the liquid slid down his throat.

Seto watched, astounded, as Yami tipped the glass back with familiar ease.

 _Ohoho_ , Seto thought gleefully as he realized drinking was something Yami also enjoyed.

Yami let his breath out in a slow sigh, feeling the liquid pool warmly in his stomach. He glanced at the bottle sitting on the counter, wondering if he could have more. Would his owner give him more?  
Just a little more…enough to let him feel…nothing, just for a moment.  
That would be wonderful.

"…Please." Yami said, holding the glass out towards his owner. "Thank you."

He didn't know how to say _"another_ ", but his owner understood immediately, uncapping the bottle and pouring him another half-glass.

 _A bit too much,_ Yami thought faintly, but he wasn't complaining. He knew that he would vomit if he drank too much. He took one last gulp and set the glass down onto the counter with a clink, feeling the warmth spread throughout his being and cause his fingertips to tingle.  
A deep appreciation for his owner was growing.

Seto watched Yami take a sip, leaving a bit of liquor at the bottom of his glass. He grabbed it and downed the rest quickly before shoving the liquor back into the fridge, aiming to get the bottle out of his sight.

Yami set the glass down and picked up the fizzy drink, sipping it, enjoying how the sweetness dulled out the bitterness at the back of his throat.

He watched his owner walk to the back of the room and pull aside the satin curtains, revealing a large glass door leading to the outside. Yami felt his heart leap up in his chest, and he rushed over to stand beside his owner, watching him unhook the latch and slide the door aside.

The cool night air rushed in and stung Yami's cheeks.

His owner took a step out onto the concrete, leaping down the stone steps and onto the grass.

Seto held out his hand, pointing at Yami's drink, indicating he should set it down. Yami placed the drink carefully on the stone step in front of him and then grabbed his owner's hand. He was pulled strongly forwards, the tips of his feet barely touched the stone before he landed softly on the grass beside his owner.

Yami felt the cold grass seep through his toes and he took a deep breath, gazing up at the black sky, where the silver stars blinking merrily down at him. Beautiful.

Seto raised his arms up and stretched lightly, suppressing a yawn. He hoped this was helping the boy calm down. He took a few long strides across the grass, stretching his legs, feeling stiff.

Yami copied his owner, bravely taking a few steps forward, shuffling his feet, enjoying the way the grass felt between his toes. He jutted up on his toes and rocked back and forth on his heels, feeling his spirits rise.  
This was a beautiful garden, even though everything was dark, Yami could make out a white stone path and flower bushes.

Suddenly, Yami heard rustling in the darkness and he tensed.  
Was it a wild animal?  
He glanced around frantically, realizing his owner had disappeared.  
The rustling stopped and Yami heard footsteps approaching him from behind.

He whirled around to find his owner standing before him in the semi-darkness, holding out a dark pink flower with large petals.

Yami blinked, his heart skipping a beat as he stared at the large flower.  
Was his owner giving this to him? Like he was a girl?

His owner raised the flower up higher and Yami lifted it out of his owner's hands, feeling his heart pounding furiously in his chest as their fingers touched slightly.

"Let's go back inside." Seto said quietly, pointing at the glass door, feeling goosebumps rise up along his arms from the cold.

Yami nodded, cupping the flower in his palms. He saw his owner walk inside and pick his drink up from the top step, and he hurried after him and feeling instantly warmer as the door slid shut behind them.

He followed his owner up the stairs and back into the room, staring at the flower in his hands, realizing that the color was actually a light pink.  
It was very pretty and the petals rounded out at pointed tips, flowing out past the edges of his hand. In fact, the flower looked like an elegantly spiked star.

Seto felt his chest grow warm as he watched Yami balance the large flower gently in his hands.

"Magnolia." He said quietly, pointing at the flower.

Yami lifted his gaze to meet his owner's deep blue eyes, "Magnolia." He repeated, feeling his tongue curl strangely. This was the name of the flower.

Seto felt himself smile and he walked into the bathroom, grabbing a fresh towel, he dipped it beneath running water again and approached Yami with it, pointing at his feet.

Yami blinked and nodded, setting the flower gently down on the edge of the bed and obediently lifted his foot.

Seto bent down and grabbed ahold of Yami's ankle, giving the bottom of his foot a firm wipe. He felt Yami lose his balance slightly and a strong hand came down on his shoulder.

Yami's face heated up as his owner diligently knelt to the ground and cleaned the bottoms of both his feet, using soft, gentle motions as the towel grazed along his heel. He could feel his throat closing up as he watched his owner clean his own feet and walk back into the bathroom quickly.

He glanced at the flower on the edge of the bed and back down at his slightly damp toes, feeling his eyes heat up dangerously again.

His owner climbed into bed and patted the spot beside him. This time, Yami didn't hesitate at all before climbing into the sheets, carefully setting the flower on the nightstand beside him. He stared at the open petals, his heart racing in his chest.

He felt his owner settle in beside him and he stared at the rolled-up lump on the far side of the bed. His toes were cold. Why was his owner sleeping so far away?

Yami inched up beside his owner and pressed his face warmly into his owner's back, inhaling deeply, feeling himself relax.  
This was happiness. He was sure of it.

Suddenly, his owner shifted and turned over onto his side, staring deeply into his eyes.

Yami's breath hitched painfully in his throat as he gazed back at his owner, watching him blink softly.  
His eyes were thin and angular.  
Handsome.

His owner carefully extracted a hand out from beneath the sheets and placed it against his cheek.

Yami blinked rapidly, feeling his heart rate increase and his body heated up instantly.

Seto gently swept his thumb across the top of Yami's cheek, brushing back a strand of light blonde hair.  
Yami inched his face closer, so close that their foreheads touched and Seto could smell the sweetness from Yami's breath. He smelled like sugar and liquor. Holy fuck….this boy was addicting.

Yami struggled to keep his eyes open, feeling impossibly hot as he pressed his forehead tightly against his owner's, breathing in his unique scent.  
He wanted a kiss. Could they kiss?

Yami shut his eyes and relished in the feeling of his owner's hand brushing across his face. It felt good. His hand was cool against his heated skin.

Seto saw Yami's eyes flutter shut and he couldn't help himself. He pressed his lips tightly across the bridge of Yami's nose and felt Yami jerk his head up to meet his lips. Suddenly, they were kissing deeply, furiously, passionately, with tongue and teeth and roaming hands.

Yami could barely breathe as he was flooded with too many sensations at once. His owner's hand was cupping his face tightly as a hot tongue slid in and out of his mouth. Teeth nibbled gently across his lower lip and then moved back to suck gently across the tip of his tongue. This felt good! Heavenly!

Seto could feel himself melting as Yami parted his mouth and responded with equal enthusiasm, tasting like a bittersweet mint. He felt himself grow aroused almost instantly. Yami shivered pleasurably beside him as he bucked his hips forwards without thinking, feeling the tip of his dick press firmly into the mattress.

Shit. This was bad.  
'No sex on the bed' was another personal rule he was trying to uphold!

Seto pulled away with an enormous effort, feeling his head spin and his lips swell. His dick throbbed and he cursed. Fuck. He was itching to jerk off.

Seto struggled to sit up, feeling Yami twist and shift beside him restlessly. He would take care of it in the bathroom… _away_ from Yami.

Yami blinked and bit back a disappointed gasp, watching his owner make move, as if to leave. No! Why was he leaving?

Yami lunged forwards and threw his arms around his owner's waist, forcefully pulling him back down into the bed, hearing his owner hiss and try to wrench him off.

"Get off me!" Seto growled, feeling Yami's arms stiffen around his waist considerably.

Yami blinked, his heart thundering in his chest as he completely understood what his owner had just said. _"Get off me!"_

Yami released his owner slowly, a dark feeling swirling in his chest.  
Why?  
Why?  
Why?  
That was the only thought that echoed around in Yami's head as he stared down at his own knees, clenching his fists tightly.

Was it because his owner still preferred Mokuba?  
Was it because his owner didn't actually like him? How hurtful! How disappointing.  
Which was it? Was it all of those things, or none of those things?

Why was his owner treating him gently if he didn't want to do these things with him?  
What did he have to do to make his owner like him more? Give him his hole?  
But they had made a written agreement about never touching his hole!

Seto had his legs swung over the edge of the bed and was about to stand up, but he took one look at Yami's face and froze.

Yami was wearing the darkest expression he had ever seen.  
Had Yami understood him? Seto realized he had no way of knowing.

Panicking, Seto eased back onto the bed, making sure to keep his legs above the comforter and patted the spot beside him carefully, "I didn't mean that. Let's sleep." He would sleep at his desk after he calmed Yami back down…again.  
This situation was totally his fault. A slip of his judgement.

Yami raised his head up and glared at him, suddenly looking very angry and determined.

Seto felt his heart stop in his chest. "What?"

Suddenly, Yami was on top of him, grabbing him by the shoulders, his legs tightly straddling his waist.

Seto swallowed nervously and propped himself up on his elbows, trying not to enjoy the feeling of Yami's weight on top of him.

"Congrats, you're on top of me." Seto said dryly, feeling his heart skip several beats as he spoke. "What are you going to do now? You clearly don't know what you're doing."

Yami couldn't understand him, right?  
Right?

Yami narrowed his eyes at his owner, feeling a swirl of resentment rise up in his chest. Was this man making fun of him? His tone of voice sounded mocking!

Suddenly, his owner sat up so quickly, Yami lost his balance and he fell onto his side with a soft _oof!_

Seto yanked the covers up and pressed them down around Yami's body, wrapping him firmly beneath the sheets, watching him flail and struggle to fight back.

Yami felt his owner leaning heavily down on top of him, keeping him trapped beneath the bed sheets, seemingly trying to wrestle with him. He kicked out and felt his owner press his ankles firmly down into the mattress, hissing, "Stop it!"

Yami stilled, his heart thundering in his chest as he popped his head out from under the sheets, staring at his owner who was looking back at him with a wild-eyed expression. His owner looked slightly afraid.

Yami sat up slowly and nodded. I'll stop.

Seto patted the pillows furiously, trying to calm his racing heartbeat, "Sleep."

He watched Yami nod and lay down obediently, blinking his large violet eyes at him in the semi-darkness.

Thank god.

Yami watched his owner lay down beside him and turn away pointedly, his sighs audible throughout the spacious room.

Irritated, Yami turned over on his side too, staring at the flower on the nightstand, and feeling his cheeks burn. His owner was good at giving mixed signals. Deciding not to think about it any further lest he lose his mind, Yami shut his eyes gently and felt himself drifting off.

Seto lay very still, listening to the sound of Yami's breathing evening out steadily.

He heard a soft knock at his door and he sat up slowly, feeling his head spin from exhaustion. What the fuck did Isono want at this hour?

He slid off the bed and shuffled to the door, surprised to see Mokuba yawning sleepily up at him while rubbing his eyes.

"Mokuba…?" Seto felt his chest tighten nervously and he wondered if he had woken his younger brother on accident.

"Seto…I wanna sleep with you tonight." Mokuba said groggily, staring at the rolled-up lump of covers on one side of the bed. His eyes widened immediately and his voice caught in his throat. Was that…Yami?!

He glanced up at his older brother, who looked extremely tired and slightly embarrassed.  
Fine. Whatever. Seto could sleep in the middle.

Mokuba plodded over to the bed and climbed up, sitting on the very edge, watching Seto hover by the door uncertainly.

"C'mon." Mokuba whispered insistently, patting the mattress quietly. "I won't sleep next to him. You will."

Seto curled his fingers into his palms, feeling them grow damp, "What if I don't want to?"

"Then…make him go back into his room!" Mokuba hissed fervently, pointing at the adjoining door and sticking his feet solidly underneath the covers.

"He just fell asleep!" Seto hissed back, feeling his irritation rise. God, what the fuck did he do to deserve this?!

"Then sleep here!" Mokuba said, raising his whisper threateningly, pointing at the space next to him.

Seto could feel an exhaustion headache coming on. Fine. Fucking fine.  
Whatever. Whatever!

He stormed over to the bed and gave Mokuba a firm nudge, "Move over."

Mokuba grinned triumphantly as he let his brother slide into the covers beside him, watching him carefully inch closer towards Yami, extremely glad that the bed was so large.

"Happy now?" Seto asked tiredly, not bothering to whisper anymore. He was half-hoping Yami would wake up, see them, and get up to leave.

"Yes." Mokuba said happily, snuggling down beside his older brother, enjoying the scent of coffee rising up from the pillows beneath his head. "'night Seto. Don't forget your promise."

Seto blinked, feeling his heart skip a beat. What promise?  
Oh, the beach.  
Right.

"I'll take you there, even if you don't do well on the test Mokuba." He said lightly, and he waited for a response. When there was none, he glanced down beside him and noticed that Mokuba had drifted off, snoring lightly with his mouth slightly open. Cute.

Sighing heavily, Seto inched down lower into the sheets, feeling unnaturally warm. Yami's heat coming from his left was almost stifling, and Mokuba's arm draped over his waist prevented him from making any sudden movements.

He closed his eyes and resigned himself to sleeping terribly for the night.

* * *

Yami shivered slightly in his sleep and he rolled over, his hand brushing across an arm that was draped over his leg. His eyes shot open and he realized he was nose-to-nose with his owner. What was even stranger, was the tiny foot that was sticking out from over the top of his owner's head.

Yami held his breath, his heart thudded loudly in his chest as he processed what was happening. He watched his owner shift in his sleep, leaning forwards so much that his head slipped past his shoulder and landed on his chest.

Yami blinked, suddenly wide awake as he felt his owner's arm wrap slowly around his waist.

The tiny foot probably belonged to Mokuba.  
Mokuba had somehow snuck into the bed while they were sleeping, and his sleeping posture was horrendous.

Seto felt his cheek grow warm and he gently lifted his eyelids, feeling something very hard pressing into his back. He stiffened and realized it was Mokuba as he could hear his younger brother's snores echoing gently around in the room.  
He lifted his head slightly and frowned down at his pillow, suddenly realizing it wasn't a pillow at all.

It was Yami's chest, and his arm was draped casually around Yami's waist. Worst of all, Yami was wide awake, staring at him unblinkingly.

Trying to contain his panic, Seto pushed himself off of Yami and felt Mokuba's leg ease off his back. His face burning and purposefully avoiding Yami's gaze, he backed up on his hands and knees and sat up carefully, feeling strangely lightheaded.

Yami sat up slowly too, staring at Mokuba splayed out on the bed beside him, his feet resting messily across the pillows where his owner's head had been just moments ago. He watched his owner palm his face sleepily and inch carefully off the bed, clearly trying not to wake Mokuba.

He watched his owner slide off the bed and make his way quietly into the bathroom. The sound of rushing water echoed lightly around the room and the door panned open quietly.

To Yami's immense displeasure, Isono bowed into the room carrying a silver tray with his owner's foul drink.

Isono set the coffee down on Master Kaiba's desk without making eye contact and hurried out of the room, pointedly ignoring the fact that both the foreign boy and Mokuba were in Kaiba's bed.

Yami watched with increasing interest as his owner stepped out of the bathroom in a cloud of hot steam and moved towards the closet.

Seto grit his teeth, cursing himself for forgetting to bring a change of clothes into the bathroom…again. He slid his closet doors aside and lifted out an outfit, trying his best to ignore the heat from Yami's gaze setting his back on fire as he buttoned his shirt and stepped into his trousers.

Throwing a tie carelessly around his neck, he slipped on his blazer and grabbed his briefcase, downing his coffee in one gulp, he moved towards the door, still feeling Yami's eyes on him as he did so.

Yami blinked, his breath hitching painfully in his throat as his owner made direct eye contact with him, standing in the doorway looking extremely handsome with the top two buttons on his shirt undone and a tie draped loosely around his neck.

"I'm heading out." Seto said automatically, moving to shut the door behind him, forgetting that Yami couldn't understand him.

"Take care." Yami replied automatically.  
He gripped the sheets so tightly his knuckles hurt, wondering what possessed him to respond. Maybe it was from writing and repeating the phrases countless times during his studies.

Seto blinked, thoroughly shaken. He gripped the door handle so tightly that he felt his palm slip. What?

Yami held his breath nervously, watching his owner stare at him with a wide-eyed expression. Had he said it incorrectly?

His owner turned and shut the door with a soft _clack!_

Yami blinked and tried not to feel offended.  
He slid out of bed with shaking legs and made sure to shove the covers all towards Mokuba's side of the bed.

Yami made his way over to his room and felt his stomach grumble. He glanced at the low table, wondering why the servant hadn't left food there like he usually did.

Annoyed, Yami strode to his door and pulled it open forcefully, stunned when he realized…his door was open!  
The servant had stupidly forgotten to lock it!

 _Idiot._ Yami thought happily, stepping out into the quiet hallway. He made sure to lock the door behind him.

Yami hurried down the stairs and dashed down one long hallway, reaching the very end, he leaned the door open and stepped into a dark room. The silence rang heavily in his ears as he allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was no light except for small slivers of sun coming from a row of very thin, rectangular windows, set high up along the opposite wall. Patting the wall frantically, Yami's fingers found the light switch and a warm glow flooded the room.

Yami gasped, staring at a row of the most beautiful cars he had ever seen. They were all different shapes and sizes, many were sharp and angular, and their door handles gleamed back at him under the bright lights.

Swallowing nervously, Yami inched towards a door he saw on the opposite side of the room. To his surprise, this door was unlocked too. Hastily leaning it open, Yami stepped outside, squinting as the harsh sunlight reflected off the white pavement.

Yami could feel his fear and anxiety rising as he gazed out across the expansive property, green grass stretching out in front of him as far as his eye could see.  
There were no walls like in the garden out back.  
Was this…the front or a side of the house? Where was the black gate?

Shaken, Yami closed the door and walked back into the house, quietly stepping into the dark hallway. He stared at the large paintings hanging from the walls, hearing his own heartbeat thundering in his ears as he dipped into another room.

His gaze landed on a large table with green felt, and large numbered balls were laid out neatly in a triangle in the center and the room was spacious. Tall windows and plush couches lined the crisp, white walls.

Yami ducked out of the room and moved further down the hallway. He stepped through yet another door, biting back a gasp when he saw a giant screen hanging on the opposite wall. Several reclining red chairs were lined neatly in front of the dark screen, and he realized with a jolt that this was a theater!

Blinking in amazement, Yami ducked out of the room, immediately panicking when he heard footsteps rustling past at the front of the hallway. Was it the head servant?

Terrified, Yami hid himself behind the door, peering through the crack, watching several maids methodically dusting the furniture in the room across the way.

Holding his breath, Yami eased his way past the door and dashed down the hallway, skidding to a complete stop when he saw Isono standing in the middle of the living room with his back turned as he was busy dusting the mantel above a large fireplace.

Gritting his teeth, Yami tiptoed cautiously past the head servant, his eyes nailed to the doorway leading into the dining area. He spied the refrigerator and he yanked the door open as quietly as he could, cursing when the glass bottles clinked along the inside. Yami heard footsteps rushing towards him and he swallowed nervously, grabbing the first thing he saw, which was a pair of neatly wrapped sandwiches.

He swung the door shut and to his horror, Isono was standing right beside him, looking at him sternly.

Yami tilted his head defiantly back at him, gripping the sandwich so tightly that the plastic wrinkled. He purposefully strode past the head servant and straight back up the stairs, feeling himself sweat.

He quickly unlocked the door and let himself into his room, throwing a frantic glance over his shoulder, seeing the manservant bounding up the stairs behind him at a surprising speed. Terrified, Yami slammed the door shut and leaned against it, his heart pounding painfully in his chest, listening for the servant's footsteps.

"Wh-what are you doing Yami?"

Yami dropped the wrapped sandwich onto the floor and whirled around, seeing Mokuba standing in the adjoining doorway, rubbing his eyes sleepily.  
He swallowed nervously and felt his mouth go dry as he tried to respond normally.

"I-Isono." Was all he could think to say.

Mokuba's eyes widened, and suddenly, Yami heard the door to his owner's room click open. Isono strode through the conjoining door and hovered threateningly behind Mokuba, looking angry.

Yami froze, unsure of what to do, watching Mokuba turn and give Isono a sleepy yawn, speaking to him firmly. He perked his ears up, trying to catch any familiar sounds.

"He's scared of you, Isono." Mokuba said quietly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pajamas and trudging towards the door.

"That is neither here nor there, young Mokuba." Isono said stiffly, staring at the wrapped sandwich laying on the floor, inches away from the foreigner's feet. Why was the boy putting food on the ground?! Food belonged on the table!

"Well, stop following him everywhere he goes. Look at him, he looks like he's gonna pee himself." Mokuba said dully, stepping out into the hallway, suddenly feeling wide awake as a trickling horror consumed his entire body.

Was that why the lab report on Yami's clothes showed so much urine and feces? How scared would you have to be to pee and shit yourself at the same time?!

Shoving the unpleasant thoughts out of his head, Mokuba rushed back into his own room and slammed the door, resolving to be nicer to Yami from now on.

Yami stood very still, watching the manservant bow stiffly and turn to leave.

"W-wait!" Yami cried out, his voice shaking slightly as he forced himself to remain composed. "Miss Ao?"  
He needed the servant to tell him when the teacher would be coming!

Isono spoke without turning around to face the boy, "She will be coming in the afternoon." And he hurried out of the room, neglecting to mention that Kaiba had called another tutor, for mathematics, and that teacher was arriving soon.

Yami blinked and felt his head spin terribly. Everyone spoke too fast. He couldn't understand a single word!

Furious, Yami stalked over to his desk and sat down. He unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite, staring at his stacks of practice sheets. This was so frustrating!  
He hated this.  
Why was this language so hard to follow?  
Why did everyone talk so fast?

Shoving his half-eaten sandwich aside, Yami remembered the math book he had thrown under the bed last night in his haste. He stood and quickly retrieved the textbook from the floor.

Sitting back down at his desk, Yami flipped to the chapter he had stopped at last night and stared intently at the numbered problems, feeling slightly better.

He noticed a light pencil mark circling one of the problems and he frowned, tilting the book slightly, catching several light marks across the page. What was this?

Yami rubbed his finger over the marks and lifted the book up, seeing the indents catching the light as he did so.

It was…handwriting! Thin, slanted handwriting indented across the page!

Excited, Yami flipped through the book, glancing over more problems, in search of more marks. Was this his owner's book? Had his owner studied out of this book too?  
It was!  
Yami saw more overt circles and underlines across several more problems in other chapters, his owner's tiny, thin handwriting hugging the bottom edge of the page. He continued flipping the pages, glad to see that the notes and underlines got more numerous as he went on.

Some of the pages were warped and Yami ran his finger over the waves in the paper, wondering what had caused the damage.

It looked like water.

Yami frowned and continued flipping, realizing the water damage was irregular.

Sometimes, the edges would be warped, and sometimes, the center of the book caught the damage, causing the ink to blur across the page.

Yami felt his breath hitch painfully in his throat as he realized…the warping wasn't caused by a spilled drink, or rain.

It was tears.

His heart began pounding fearfully in his chest as he studied the watermarks closely, hovering his head over the page, staring at one perfectly circular warped spot which blurred across the number 5.

It was definitely tears.  
His owner's tears.

Yami leaned back in his chair, feeling the room spin violently.

His owner had so much trouble with these problems, he had …cried? Or maybe, these were Mokuba's tears? Why?

Yami felt his stomach churn uncertainly and he slammed the math book shut. He swept it under his arm and decided he would ask Mokuba directly. He grabbed his translation dictionary too and marched out of his room, not caring if the servant would order him back inside.

He needed to know whose tears these were.

He approached Mokuba's door and knocked loudly, the sound echoing down the long hallway. Yami felt his anxiety rise as Mokuba took an unusually long time to answer the door.

Finally, the door handle turned and Mokuba's face appeared, looking disgruntled, "What?"

Yami held up the book and pointed at his own face, drawing a slow tear down his cheek and frowning. Did this book make you cry?

He held his breath, watching Mokuba pull the door back and scratch his head, looking confused.

Yami hastily balanced the book in his palm and flipped towards the end where the underlines and handwriting were abundant. He pointed at the warped pages and held the book up to show Mokuba, watching Mokuba's eyes widen so much, they began to water at the corners.

Mokuba held his breath, staring at the page Yami was showing him in the book. It was covered with Seto's handwriting. Suddenly, he noticed the tear stains dotting irregularly across the problems, some sunk so deeply into the paper that the ink had blurred.

Mokuba felt his head spin and his knees grow weak. These were…Seto's tears!

He turned away from Yami and felt his eyes burn. He had often heard screaming and crying during Seto's study sessions with Gozaburo, but seeing the tear-stained pages right in front of him somehow …brought the bad memories back in a horrible, raw sort of way.  
And Seto was keeping this book?!  
Why?  
As a reminder that he had bested the material?!  
The book should be destroyed!

Yami's frown deepened as he carefully studied Mokuba's reaction, watching the child's face morph from shock, to anger, to sorrow, and then back to anger.  
This confirmed it. These were not Mokuba's tears.

Suddenly, the child rushed at him and yanked the book out of his hands, violently tearing out the pages with his tiny fists, large tears streaming down his face as he did so.

Panicking, Yami frantically wrestled the book out of Mokuba's hands. The child fought back, falling to the floor and hugging the ruined pages to his chest, looking heartbroken, silent tears still dripping down his chubby face.

"Stop! Stop it!" Yami cried desperately, gathering the tattered pages up from the floor, thinking they would be shouted at for making a mess…mainly, for destroying one of their owner's books!

"Seto won't care! I hate it! He hates it! Burn the book!" Mokuba yelled, not caring that Isono would hear them and come running upstairs at any minute.

Yami blinked and froze, feeling a loose page slip from his arms and float to the floor.

He had understood some of what Mokuba had shouted.  
" _Seto…..I hate it….He hates it!..."_

Yami heard frantic footsteps rushing up the stairs and he turned to glance behind him in terror, watching the manservant make direct eye contact with him and stride forwards furiously.

Yami shook his head and backed away, dropping the ruined pages of the book, trying to pull Mokuba to his feet, feeling Mokuba resist and slide weakly to the floor, sobbing.

Isono stood in the doorway of Mokuba's room and blinked, slowly taking in the scene before him.

Ruined pages of a math book were scattered messily throughout the entire room while Mokuba knelt by the foreign boy's feet, outwardly crying. Isono felt his skin crawl as he caught several tearstained pages covered in Kaiba's handwriting, laying in a crumpled mess by his toes, and he hastily scooped them up, depositing them into the trash bin beside Mokuba's desk.

"There, there, young Mokuba." Isono hushed frantically, kneeling onto the floor and making a huge show of picking up the ripped pages. He slipped them into the trash noisily, rustling the plastic liner on purpose. "There, we've thrown it all away! This book won't bother anyone anymore!"

Yami felt his amazement rise as he saw the manservant immediately drop to his knees and began throwing the pages away, desperately trying to appease the child. Yami also bent down and scooped up several wrinkled pages, waving them in front of Mokuba's face and crumpled them in his fist, watching the child take deep hiccupping breaths, trying to calm down.

Yami sat down on the floor beside Mokuba, his mind racing for a solution, deeply regretting showing the child the tear-stained pages.

He knew this child was very fond of their owner.

"Mokuba…I'm sorry." Yami said quietly, patting Mokuba's knee gently with a balled-up page of the book. He watched Mokuba grab the paper from him and toss it as far away as he possibly could.

"I'm sorry." Yami repeated, once again patting the child's knee with his hand gently, feeling relieved as he watched Mokuba gradually calm down.

Yami was also relieved that he had managed to remember how to say, "I'm sorry" in Japanese without consulting his dictionary.

Isono sat back on his heels and watched in amazement as the foreigner managed to calm Mokuba down with a simple apology while gently patting his knee. He slid his hand into his pocket, thinking he ought to text Kaiba about it, but decided against it.

Master Kaiba was better off not knowing this incident happened.

The doorbell chimed loudly and Yami jumped, hearing the cascading ring echo around the house. Isono leapt to his feet and hurried away to answer the door.

Mokuba rubbed his nose across his sleeve messily and Yami reached out to give Mokuba a reassuring pat on the back. Suddenly, Mokuba threw himself forwards and wrapped his tiny arms around Yami's neck and Yami hesitated briefly before returning the embrace with equal strength.

They stayed that way for several long moments until Yami heard footsteps echoing up the staircase. Mokuba pulled away and Yami could feel the wet patch of Mokuba's tears drying across his shoulder.

There was as soft knock at the door and Yami jerked his head up to stare.

Isono was standing in the doorway with a stranger. The man had jet black hair and was wearing a light pink shirt paired with white pants. He bowed stiffly and Yami hastily rose to his feet to bow in response, feeling Mokuba slowly stand and bob his head politely, mumbling, "Hello Mr. Okawa."

Yami swallowed dryly and committed the man's name to memory.  
_Okawa._  
_Mr. Okawa._

"Mokuba." The man said shortly before addressing Isono, "Will I be dealing with Mokuba's friend?"

Yami blinked rapidly, understanding the man had said _"Mokuba's friend."_

 _Is he referring to me?_ Yami wondered faintly, watching Mokuba sit down gloomily at his desk.

"Yes, in the other room, please." Isono responded, trying to keep his voice steady. He was extremely glad Mokuba seemed to have fully calmed down. He pointed into the other room and made eye contact with the foreigner, "Please go back into your room."

Yami blinked and nodded, walking forwards and watching the man with the pink shirt enter his room with familiar ease. Oh, was this another teacher? Where was Miss Ao?

His mind raced with uncertainty as he watched Mr. Okawa pull out a chair and tap the empty one beside him firmly, looking stern.

Yami sat down quickly and watched the man lay down a series of books across the desk. They were dark grey and had the now-familiar shapes from the book Mokuba had destroyed.

Instantly alert, Yami watched the man flip to the first page and tap on the problem, his deep voice echoing around in the room. Yami blinked and nodded, picking up his pen and sliding out a fresh sheet of paper from his desk, he copied the problem down exactly as it was shown in the book.

The man nodded, satisfied and sat back in his chair, folding his arms, as if waiting for something to happen.

Yami lowered his gaze, eyeing the top two buttons on the man's shirt, watching them shine back at him in the sunlight streaming in from his windows. This man was so neatly dressed….

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the man tapped the book and spoke in a commanding tone.

 _Right, I'll do the problem._ Yami thought darkly, and he set his pen on the paper, solving the problem with ease, feeling the man's eyes watching every stroke of his pen.

He pushed the completed problem back at the teacher, watching him nod and flip through several pages, pointing at another problem which looked noticeably more difficult.

Yami felt his throat going dry and realized this man was challenging him.

He nodded stiffly and set his pen to the paper again, working the problem methodically, his heart pounding nervously in his chest as he circled his answer.

The pen was snatched out of his hand and the man drew two solid lines beneath his answer, tapping it firmly as if to say, _"You don't circle your answers."_

 _Fine,_ Yami fumed privately, thinking that the atmosphere in the room was very tense. This man was not as nice as Miss Ao.  
If anything, he was cold and stern.  
He wanted his pen back, but the tutor had it in his hand.

The man leafed through the book again and chose a problem at the very end, and Yami felt his impatience rising.  
He wasn't learning anything.  
This man was just picking problems out of the book!  
He could do this on his own, without help!

Yami watched the man write down the problem neatly and add to the problem, including a triangle in the middle of the numbers, and several other odd symbols. He set the pen down and Yami held his breath, feeling his anxiety rise as the man flipped open a separate book and pointed at a key.

Several Japanese sentences were written after the symbols, describing what they meant, but Yami couldn't read them.

First, he would have to translate the key, and then he could do the problem.

Drawing in his breath with a slow hiss, Yami reached for his translation dictionary and he heard the man snap at him, "What are you doing?"

Yami blinked and he pointed at his dictionary, speaking slowly, using the phrases he had memorized, "I can't…understand Japanese."

The man's eyes widened and he crossed his arms stiffly, looking amazed.

Yami took this moment to snatch his dictionary and he copied the key on a separate sheet of paper with ease, occasionally glancing at his dictionary to fill in the words he didn't know how to read.

After a moment, he applied his knowledge of the symbols to the problem, and he leaned back in his chair, feeling satisfied as he glanced over his work.

His numbers and drawings had taken up the entire sheet of paper, and this problem had been very long, but Yami was certain he had done it correctly.

The man leaned forwards and tapped the paper with his finger, blinking rapidly. Yami studied the man's face, taking in his pale skin, rounded face, and dark eyelashes. The people in this country were pale. Black hair and dark eyes seemed common. Why did his owner look so different then? Even Mokuba looked more native….

It suddenly struck Yami that his owner may be a foreigner too! Was that why he valued Japanese education so much?!

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the man spoke, "Good. Next, we will…." And that was all he could understand.

The man tapped the third book he had brought over and Yami felt his anxiety rise yet again. This was an entirely new subject.

He leaned forwards and watched the man copy down a set of numbers and point at the book. Yami nodded and watched intently as the man showed him how to solve that problem. The pen was placed in front of him and Yami frowned in concentration as he applied the same concepts to a new question in the book.

They went on like this for several more pages.

The man would show him how to do a new problem and Yami would follow suit and complete several just like it, most of them contained different numbers, but the idea was the same, and Yami found that the man was quite understanding when he got stuck.

He would be given a different way to calculate it, and Yami learned easily just by copying the method he was shown.

Before he knew it, the lesson was over.

The man shut the book delicately and pointed at the page number and the cover, quickly jotting down something across the top of Yami's papers before standing up to leave. Yami had watched him write quickly, unable to read any of it.

The man tucked the books underneath his arm and bowed stiffly, unsmiling, "It was nice…."

Yami rose to his feet and bowed back quickly, "Thank you."

The man straightened up and gave him a strange look before exiting the room quietly.

Yami waited until he heard the man's footsteps fade before he rushed back to his desk and began furiously translating the sentences the teacher had written.

He felt his head rush with satisfaction as he read the sentences:

" _Sea Horse Sky,_

_This boy is very intelligent and pleasant to work with._

_He has a very deep understanding of mathematics, so much that I only need to show him the concept once or twice, and he immediately understands, which is impressive, given how we did not speak a word to each other throughout the entire lesson._

_There is not much else I can teach him other than the remaining sections of Discrete and Differential Geometry and Calculus. If you wish for me to continue with this boy, please provide the following books:_

_"…."_

_Perhaps he could go on to learn applied mathematics when he becomes more fluent._

_He had to translate several theories, but he seemed to understand with no problem after some examples._

_Sincerely,_

_Okawa._

0413-276251"

Yami blinked and read the letter over again, feeling his excitement rising.  
He had been praised by the teacher!

Yami frowned at the first sentence, wondering why his owner's name translated to "seahorse sky." __  
  
Yami muttered the name aloud, thinking it sounded accurate.  
  
_Kaiba-sama._

He had heard that bastard Rahim address his owner as such.  
He needed to know what "Sama" meant, but his dictionary was only limited to definitions in Arabic; and there was nothing about colloquialisms.

Then, Yami stared at the row of numbers at the bottom of the page, trying to figure out what it meant.

He tried subtracting them, dividing them, and then he stopped, realizing the dash in the middle meant it was an address of sorts.  
It was a contact number.

Sighing, Yami pushed the paper away and rubbed his temples, feeling unusually tired.

He walked over to his bed and fell face down onto the sheets, inhaling deeply.  
The fresh laundered scent was calming, lulling him to sleep.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Seto is encouraging bad drinking habits in Yami? *gasp  
Progress between Yami and Mokuba?  
Yami is incredibly smart?

Leave A review! Hope ya'll liked this pl0t development with not as much SMoUuT & SMexxX

 **ANIMANIAC1017 YOU. ARE. THE. LEGIT. BEST!** Thank you so much for your hard work and your edits…this week in particular. *cries and hugs you*  
  
I feel so grateful to have such a solid, supportive, and knowledgeable editor…i don't deserve you, seriously :P

hugs,  
Ugli


	13. How did you find me here?

Isono knocked on the foreign boy’s door and waited for an answer. Miss Ao shifted her purse across her shoulder, looking energetic.

“He’s quite a fast learner, isn’t he?” Miss Ao said quietly, smiling gently up at Isono, “He must be quiet fun to have around in the house!”

Isono set his jaw and decided to remain silent. He knocked again and wondered why there was no answer. He felt a slight panic coming on as he recalled the last time he had entered the room and the boy was not present. Was this the case too?

“Excuse me Miss Ao. Looks like we will have to enter without knocking.” Isono said stiffly, feeling himself sweat. This boy was…so…incredibly troublesome!

Isono pushed the door open quietly and heard Miss Ao gasp beside him. The boy was fast asleep on the bed, facedown, his legs hanging off the edge strangely. He looked like he had just toppled over and passed out.

“I-Is he alright?” Miss Ao stammered, seeing Mokuba peek his head out from his door, “Hello Mokuba-kun!”

Isono swallowed nervously and he strode over to the bed, aiming to wake the boy up. As he walked by the desk, he saw the large stack of paper from the previous lesson and caught Master Kaiba’s name across the top on one of the sheets.

He hastily picked it up and read it, knowing it was rude to leave Miss Ao standing by the door as he did so,

_“Kaiba-Sama,_

_This boy is very intelligent and pleasant to work with._  
  
He has a very deep understanding of mathematics, so much that I only need to show him the concept once or twice, and he immediately understands, which is impressive, given how we did not speak a word to each other throughout the entire lesson.  
  
There is not much else I can teach him other than the remaining sections of Discrete and Differential Geometry and Calculus. If you wish for me to continue with this boy, please provide the following books:

“….”

 _Perhaps he could go on to learn applied mathematics when he becomes more fluent._  
  
He had to translate several theories, but he seemed to understand with no problem after some examples.

_Sincerely,_

_Okawa._  
  
0413-276251”

Isono felt himself tremble as he picked up the stack of paper the boy had written during the lesson, staring at the multitude of numbers, shapes, and algorithms.  
Was this boy some kind of…genius?! His level of understanding on these complex subjects rivaled Master Kaiba’s! In fact, this boy seemed to understand these concepts with ease, whereas in the past, Master Kaiba had struggled greatly!

“Wh-What is it?” Miss Ao asked tentatively. She had seen Isono pale visibly as he flipped through math practice sheets. “Is he that bad at math?”

“Q-Quite the opposite.” Isono stammered hastily, tucking the sheets underneath his arms. He would photograph these and send them to Master Kaiba immediately. He glanced over at the boy and wondered if he ought to wake him.  
It seemed like the math lesson had drained him.

“Apologies Miss Ao.” Isono said bowing deeply, “I’m afraid we’ve wasted your time today. Please come back the day after tomorrow. I’m not sure the boy will have energy to pay attention in your lesson. It was our mistake for arranging the lessons so close together.”

Miss Ao blinked, startled, realizing she was being sent away, “Oh…I see.”

“You will be compensated for your time today.” Isono said darkly, thinking Master Kaiba was wasting his money on lessons for the boy. The foreigner seemed to be learning from the dictionary just fine. Actually, arming this boy with more knowledge without knowing anything about him seemed very dangerous!

“No need!” Miss Ao said, waving lightly.

Isono stepped out of the room and shut the door behind himself, leading Miss Ao back down the staircase and sending her politely out the door. He turned to head back up the stairs, watching Mokuba hover at the top, eyeing the papers tucked under his arm suspiciously, “What are those?”

“Homework, young Mokuba.” Isono said lightly, trying to keep the stress from showing in his voice.

“Yami’s homework?” Mokuba asked readily, holding out his hand demandingly, “I want to see!”

Isono blinked, registering that Mokuba was also addressing the foreigner as ‘Yami’.

“That’s rude, Mokuba. You don’t call other people names.” Isono said gently, thinking he might start calling the boy ‘Yami’ too. It was very fitting name.  
That was the name Master Kaiba had carelessly given the foreigner, and the boy had just accepted that as his name?

“That _is_ his name.” Mokuba said firmly, crossing his arms, “He wrote me a letter saying so.”

“Right.” Isono said, remembering the letter vividly.

 _‘I am not a threat, nor do I want to steal your Seto from you._ ’ Was the line that echoed in his mind endlessly as he had photographed it and sent it to Kaiba.

“Be nicer to him.” Mokuba said sternly, “He’s really scared of you Isono, can’t you see that?”

Isono stepped past Mokuba and walked into Kaiba’s room, nodding politely, “I will try, Mokuba.”

Mokuba frowned and realized Isono had tricked him into forgetting about asking for the homework. “Hey!” he cried angrily, but Isono had already disappeared into Seto’s room.

Isono felt slightly guilty as he shut himself inside Kaiba’s room, moving towards the desk and laying the math sheets out across the surface methodically, feeling goosebumps rise along his arms as he stared at the neat, round little numbers.  
Where did this boy come from and how was he so intelligent?

He slipped out his cellphone and snapped several photos, making sure to include a close-up of the letter from the tutor.

* * *

 

Seto heard his phone buzz across his desk and ignored it.

It buzzed several more times in quick succession and he sighed, picking it up to see what Mokuba wanted.

They were picture messages from Isono.

Feeling slightly nervous, Seto opened the messages and combed through the pictures, his amazement rising higher and higher as he stared at the images.

They were the results from Yami’s Math tutoring session, and every inch of the pages were covered with neat diagrams and lines of equations; the solutions were all correct, marked with two solid lines at the bottom, and there was no hesitation in any of the work.  
There were no rough erasure marks or scratched-out errors on the side.  
It was perfect.  
Even marks from the tutor were absent.  
There were full problems written out in Okawa’s handwriting, and all the rest was Yami’s neat, rounded numbers.  
  
Amazing. Fucking amazing.

Seto even felt a slight swirl of resentment rise up in his chest.  
  
How the fuck did Yami manage to solve differentials without any hint of a formal education?

Why did he ever think this kid was stupid?  
  
Yami’s refusal to eat and bathe were clearly fear-based actions.

His phone buzzed again, and Seto quickly read Isono’s text:  
  
“ _Sent Miss Ao away without completing a lesson. Yami was asleep when she arrived, and I didn’t want to wake him.”_

Seto grit his teeth and shot Isono an angry text in return, _“You should’ve woken him up! He needs the language lesson more than anything!”_

A response came just as quickly, and Seto felt his irritation rise as he read it,  
_“Apologies, Master Kaiba. I will wake him next time.”_

 _There won’t_ be _a next time_ , Seto thought angrily, clicking his phone off and shoving it away forcefully.  
  
Yami didn’t need a Math tutor, and Seto wasn’t going to be inviting the tutor back.  
   
The letter from Okawa stated that there was literally nothing left to teach Yami, other than applied mathematics, which required a full understanding of the Japanese language. 

If anything, the Math session was as illuminating as a brain scan, perhaps even more so.  
  
Yami was incredibly smart, to a point where he was dangerous.

 _He might even be smarter than me!_ Seto realized with a trickling horror.

No.  
No fucking way.  
  
Seto grit his teeth and reached into his briefcase for the Japanese to Arabic dictionary he had brought with him to work on a whim. He would dedicate time out of his day to properly learn this fucking language.

If Yami could learn how to solve differentials in a two-hour lesson, he could learn basic, conversational Arabic in less than a month.

Clear communication with Yami now became Seto’s top priority.

* * *

 

Yami lifted his head up groggily and felt his stomach grumble painfully.

He realized his room was pitch dark and he panicked, sliding off the bed and onto the floor as he glanced around in a daze. Had he missed the lesson with Miss Ao? Why had no one woken him?! What time was it? It was dark outside!

Yami dashed over to the light switch and clicked the lights on, blinking as the brightness stung his eyes.

It was completely dark outside his window, and Yami felt his anger rising to an all-time high. He had definitely missed his lesson with Miss Ao.

He grabbed his translation dictionary and flipped through it furiously, quickly memorizing serval words and phrases before storming out of his room, in search of the head servant, Isono. He would yell at that man for not waking him for his lesson!

Yami didn’t care if he would be punished for yelling at the servant. His owner seemed very impatient with the old man, and Yami was beginning to understand why.

He stormed down the stairs, surprised to see his owner stepping in through the front door and nod at him politely. Yami paused on the step, nodding back stiffly, and he saw Isono step into the house carefully behind his owner, looking glum.

That incensed Yami even further and he called out to the servant, clenching his fists tightly at his sides, “Isono!”  
  
Yami heard his voice echoing loudly through the house, and he ignored the goosebumps rising along his arms.

His owner dropped his metal briefcase with a loud clatter onto the stone floor and the servant looked flustered, answering quietly, “Yes?”

“Wake me up next time!” Yami said firmly, almost stumbling on his words, and he repeated himself, “Wake…me…up! Next time!”

It was suddenly very quiet, and his owner was staring up at him with a mixture of surprise and…fear?

Yami understood that this was his chance to be heard, and he pointed at the window beside the door, glaring, “Look! It’s dark outside! I slept the whole day! I need a clock in my room!”

Seto bit his tongue and he felt his eyes water heavily. Holy fucking shit. The kid was yelling at the top of his lungs, sounding completely fluent, and it was fucking scary.

Mokuba’s footsteps came pattering out from the kitchen, and he skidded to a halt as he saw Yami standing on the bottom of the stairs, still pointing at the window beside the front door. He had heard yelling and it sounded like a stranger was in the house, but realized it was Yami who was shouting…at Isono no less.

“I-I’ll wake you up next time.” Mokuba said tentatively, and he rushed forwards to give his brother a hug. “Hi Seto! I missed you today! I got an ‘A’! I really did! Can we go to the beach tomorrow like you promised?!”

Seto blinked rapidly and bent down to pick up his briefcase, nodding weakly as he felt his knees give out slightly. “Yes. Good job kiddo.”

Mokuba threw him a bright gin and hugged him tighter around the waist, “That means…no working from now, until we come back! Promise!”

“I promise,” Seto responded, feeling hollow as he could feel his skin burning off his back from Yami’s gaze. “Are you hungry?”

Mokuba shook his head, but Seto heard Yami’s resounding voice echoing up from behind him: “I am.”

Mokuba seemed unfazed. He ran forwards to grab Yami by the arm and he half-dragged him into the kitchen, leaving Seto and Isono standing dumbfounded by the front doors.

“I got a new snack! Let’s eat it together,” Mokuba said happily, sliding his pantry door open and grabbing a dark blue bag of chips. “Which one do you want?”

Yami felt his head spin and his hears ring with the sounds of Mokuba’s voice. He couldn’t understand anything the child was saying anymore. He had used up all his energy memorizing the words he had been shouting.  
Was Mokuba offering to share his food?

Mokuba grabbed several different colored bags of chips and shoved them into Yami’s arms, pulling him over to the kitchen counter and plopping down onto the stool.

Yami followed suit and watched as Mokuba popped the bags open one by one and angled them towards him, as if to say, “Eat this with me!”

 _Gladly,_ Yami thought weakly, and he dipped his hand into the bag, feeling famished.

Upstairs, Seto was having a frantic conversation with Isono about Yami’s rapid absorption of information.

“Do you see what I mean now?” Seto asked impatiently, loosening his tie and throwing it onto his desk. “He needs to be treated kindly, or he will become dangerous.”

“You’re saying this as if he isn’t already dangerous,” Isono said quietly. “Sleeping in your bed…befriending Mokuba -- I have never seen young Mokuba react so positively to a stranger before.”

“That should be a good thing,” Kaiba responded aggressively, slipping his laptop out of his case, thankful there had been no damage when he had stupidly dropped it onto the floor.

“Or, he’s doing it because he has something else in mind,” Isono said worriedly, furrowing his brow. He had a feeling Yami had shown Mokuba the tearstained pages of Kaiba’s old textbook on purpose, looking for a reaction.

“Whatever the case, just be glad he’s not violent,” Seto said stiffly, feeling his uncertainty rise. He had a feeling the boy knew how to hold his own in a fight, despite his slender frame. All the more reason not to incite him.

“We should turn him in to the authorities! Perhaps he has family looking for him!” Isono said fervently, clasping his hands in front of him the way he often did when he was trying to make a point. “He is an undocumented illegal!”

Seto pressed his palms onto his desk, his face heating up uncomfortably. Yami knew enough to speak, and the first words out of his mouth were things like “food” and “I’m hungry.”  
If he wanted to go home, that would’ve been the first thing he would’ve asked for. Instead, he was shouting about not being woken up for a lesson and asking for a clock.

“I don’t think he has a home,” Seto said numbly, feeling his legs grow weak.  
He sat down heavily in his chair and Isono seemed to waver as well.

“ _We’re_ not giving him a home, are we?” Isono asked coldly, folding his arms across his chest. He did not want to house this dangerous foreigner. He was difficult to deal with, however smart he was.  
  
“I think I want to,” Seto answered without thinking. “He could be useful.”

“For what?” Isono gasped, pressing a hand to his chest. They would have to legalize the foreigner! A long and painful process, which might not even go through if the government deemed him “unfit” to be a Japanese citizen.

“I’ll think of something,” Kaiba said quickly, palming his face in his hands, waving him away. “Leave. I’m fucking exhausted.”

Isono let out a defiant sigh, and he strode out of the room, closing the door with a soft click. 

* * *

 

Yami climbed the stairs with Mokuba chattering happily away beside him.  
He didn’t mind, and he listened closely to what the child was saying, not catching any familiar sounds.  
His stomach was pleasantly full.  
The manservant had approached him and bowed deeply, apologizing, and then he had prepared a full course meal with meat, rice, and fish.

Overall, it had been a nice night, and Mokuba seemed to be in high spirits.

“Good night!” Mokuba said excitedly, rushing back into his room and shutting the door with a click.

Yami nodded stiffly and walked back into his room, noticing that the adjoining door was wide open. He could see his owner sitting at his desk, apparently fast asleep with his head down across the surface.

Yami inched towards the desk and hovered over his owner’s sleeping form, gazing down at his sharp cheekbones peeking out from underneath his light hair. Upon closer inspection, Yami noticed his owner’s cheekbones were unusually shiny. They seemed to glisten underneath the soft lights of the room.

“Seto?” Yami said hesitantly, and his owner jerked awake, sitting up straight in his chair.

Yami jumped back, startled. Damn! His owner always jerked awake so suddenly! Was waking up softly not a thing he knew how to do?

Yami blinked and stared, registering that his owner’s cheeks were shiny because they were wet. T-Tears?!

Yami swallowed thickly and tried to calm his pounding heart. Why? What happened?   
  
Yami tried to calm down, remembering the children’s cartoons his owner enjoyed watching, reminding himself that however tough his owner looked on the outside, he  ultimately had a child’s heart deep down.

 _“Where is your home?”_ Seto asked softly, roughly brushing the corners of his cheeks with the pads of his fingers, praying Yami hadn’t noticed.

Yami blinked, realizing he could understand his owner perfectly.  
His owner was speaking Arabic!

 _“I…”_ Yami hesitated, wondering why the sudden question about his home.

Was it because his owner wanted to send him back?!

 _“I can’t tell you,”_ Yami said lamely, swallowing nervously. The nameless boy had not given him instructions on how to answer questions like this! Whatever the case, he needed to avoid being sent back. Any questions about “home” was bound to lead to that anyway.

His owner was getting tired of him!  
Already?!

 _“Why not?”_ Seto retaliated, his worst fears confirmed. He recalled a line from Yami’s letter, mentioning an insult from Rahim that Yami was from the streets. That was turning out to be true…!

 _“Because…”_ Yami frowned, feeling very afraid. His owner was speaking very fluently with him, even appearing to understand his responses! How terrifying!

 _“Because?”_ Seto prompted, tapping his desk impatiently, his anxiety rising. Would he be able to understand Yami’s answer? He had prepped for this conversation, reading over and memorizing every possible answer he could think of and translating them into Arabic.  
Yami was speaking very conservatively, using only one-word answers and short phrases.  
Was he doing this on purpose?

 _“Because …I can’t tell you,”_ Yami responded stupidly, and Seto could feel his impatience rising.

 _“Are you from the streets?”_ Seto asked, trying to keep his tone level. He didn’t want to sound biased one way or another. He didn’t want his tone to affect Yami’s answer.

He watched Yami blink and answer swiftly, _“No.”_

Seto frowned, tapping his desk harder as he tried to determine if Yami was lying. _“What about family? Do you have any?”_

 _“No,”_ came the response.

“So, you’re not from the streets and you don’t have family.” Seto repeated in Japanese, feeling exhaustion settle heavily onto his shoulders. The kid was definitely lying.

 _“You’re lying,”_ Seto said, switching back to Arabic with ease, watching Yami’s expression remained eerily neutral. Not even a bat of an eyelid.

 _“I might be lying.”_ Yami said perceptively, his gaze drifting over his owner’s shoulder, _“Why do you want to know?”_

Seto felt his ears ring unpleasantly as his vision started fading slightly.  
Why do he want to know?! That was the worst-case scenario answer!  
Time to play the “emotion” card.

 _“I want to know…because I care.”_ Seto said simply, watching Yami stiffen visibly and look instantly furious.

 _“No, you don’t. You couldn’t care less.”_ Yami retorted, his hands stiff at his sides.  
His owner was prying…on purpose!  
This was so irritating.

“ _You don’t know anything about how I feel_ ,” Seto hissed, feeling his temper rise. He was running out of prepped phrases, and Yami was quickly shooting down every single one of his questions.

 _“Whatever,”_ Yami replied coldly, crossing his arms firmly, giving him a nonchalant stare. _“May I leave now?”_

Seto drew in a solid breath and held it, registering that Yami was asking for his permission to exit the room. If that was the case, then…no. Not until he received a solid answer.

 _“No, not until you tell me.”_ Seto said cleverly, banking on his prepped phrases once more: _“I’ll ask you again. Where is your home?”_

He saw Yami’s eyes widen so much, his pupils contracted.

Yami was panicking on the inside and he prayed it didn’t show on his face. His heart was pounding so quickly, it became a low hum in his ears. He wasn’t allowed to leave this room until he gave a sufficient answer?! What would happen if he were to run towards the other room right now? What punishment would follow?  
  
Yami didn’t know because he realized he hadn’t been properly punished yet, and not knowing somehow made everything a lot worse.

 _“Is your home not a good place?”_ Seto pressed. He wanted to know something, anything, but Yami was withholding information on purpose.

Yami could feel his throat closing up as he spoke, _“I know you want to send me away, so stop asking. I will stay in this room until you let me leave.”_

Seto blinked, hearing the foreign sounds buzzing in his ear.  
Fuck.  
He couldn’t understand what Yami had said.  
This was an answer he hadn’t prepared for.  
Shit.  
Well, there was one more thing he could try.

Yami watched his owner palm his face heavily and look defeated, pausing for a long moment before speaking again, _“Fine. But I hope you will tell me when you feel comfortable.”_

Yami blinked, unable to believe his ears.  
Really now. Was his owner being serious?

 _“Don’t count on it,”_ Yami responded viciously, resisting the urge to curl his fists. If he did, he might actually hit something…or someone.

Seto blinked and stared down at his desk, feeling his head spin.  
This phrase he understood.  
Okay, wow. Shot down immediately.  
He had to admit, Yami seemed lot nicer when he didn’t speak.  
When he did speak, it was terrifying.

Yami bit his tongue and tried not to feel guilty for snapping at his owner.  
He felt his face heating up as he looked away pointedly, feeling his owner stand up from the desk and walk through the connecting door into his room.

Confused, Yami watched his owner return with the tray of ointment and bandages. Oh! He was being tended to. Odd.

Seto set the tray down on his desk and sat down easily, unscrewing the cap off the rubbing alcohol and reaching for Yami’s arm. He saw Yami hesitate, then stick his arm out carefully, his eyes never leaving his hands.

“Relax,” Seto growled, carefully unravelling the old bandage off of Yami’s arm, glad to see that the scab had fallen off and the skin had almost healed over completely.  
  
The area was soft pink, and there was no trace of ink.  
Good.  
  
A few more wraps and the skin would be completely healed.

He heard Yami gasp and jerk his arm back so suddenly, Seto almost spilled the bottle of rubbing alcohol across the desk.

“Watch it!” Seto exclaimed angrily, his voice catching in his throat as he saw Yami inspecting his wrist with an expression of deep incredulity.

Yami swallowed tightly, unable to believe his eyes. His numbers had vanished! There was a light pink patch of skin where the ugly scab was, and his wound seemed to have almost healed completely!  
Amazing!  
His owner had done all that begging to the doctor for good results!

“Hand,” Seto commanded tiredly, retrieving the roll of bandages and ointment. He grabbed Yami’s arm and lightly dabbed the sour-smelling ointment across the wound, feeling Yami’s arm shake and tremble.

“Th-Thank you,” Yami said quietly, feeling his heart pounding so loudly it was about to explode out of his chest. His owner was diligently wrapping a fresh set of bandages around his wrist, securing it so tightly, Yami felt his skin throb. A little…too tight, but Yami wasn’t complaining.

Seto leaned back in his chair and angled Yami’s arm in front of himself, admiring his handiwork. He had to wrap a little tighter this time around, as per the doctor’s orders. This healing stage was crucial.  
If Yami damaged the skin while it was tender, it might leave an ugly scar.

Yami jerked his hand back again, and this time, Seto let him. He reached into his desk and slid out a fresh sheet of paper. He picked up a pen and jotted down several sentences and handed it to Yami. Seto watched Yami snatch the paper out of his hands and dash into his room. To his surprise, Yami returned with the translation dictionary and sat himself down on the coffee table by the couch.

“Go back into your room! What are you doing in here?!” Seto said nervously, watching Yami pointedly ignore him. What the fucking hell?

Seto watched Yami flip through the dictionary, writing fervently across the paper with practiced ease. He felt goosebumps rising along his arm as he watched the tip of Yami’s pen lift and touch the paper so quickly, he barely had time to blink before he realized Yami had finished translating his words. Holy…shit.

Yami heard his owner speak to him with an odd tone but he ignored him, hastily translating the sentences. He was having difficulty this time around because his owner had written a more complex sentence, but Yami didn’t mind.  
  
He set himself to the task, and after a while, he sat back on his heels to read the completed letter:

 _“I wrapped it tighter this time because at this stage, your skin needs to stay protected._  
  
_If you scratch it, it will scar._  
_If you get it wet, it will scar._  
_So keep it clean or it will have all been for nothing._  
  
_I will have a clock brought into your room tomorrow.”_

Yami felt himself shake with a mixture of happiness and relief. It seemed like his owner was forgiving him for the earlier conversation, but his owner hadn’t mentioned he could leave the room.

 _Whatever,_ Yami thought darkly, folding the paper in half and tucking it into his dictionary. His owner was leaving soon in the morning, which meant he could spend the rest of tomorrow doing whatever he wanted.

Suddenly, the screen above his head flickered on, and the show with the stitched puppets began playing.

Yami blinked and bit back a delirious laugh, throwing his owner a mocking look over his shoulder.

His owner ignored him and climbed into the bed, balancing an electronic tablet in one hand as he made himself comfortable beneath the sheets.

 _He sure likes his electronic toys_ , Yami mused, standing quietly and making his way over to the edge of the bed.

Seto watched Yami hastily climb atop the sheets and lie down on his stomach, propping his head up on his elbows at the foot of the bed, his eyes nailed to the TV screen.

Seto stared at the heels of Yami’s feet, lying inches away from his hand and he ignored it, glancing down at his pad, intent on reading the news. The TV sounded merrily, and Seto heard Yami laugh as the show continued playing.

He jerked his head up to stare, listening to the show, realizing that Yami could understand enough of the plot to laugh. Intrigued, Seto watched Yami kick out one of his feet and curl his toes against the sheets, clearly enjoying himself.

Something possessed him to reach out to give the bottoms of Yami’s feet a slight poke.

Yami felt his owner playfully tap at his feet and he ignored him, keeping his attention on the show. It was getting pretty interesting! The stitched puppets were a family, and they owned a farm where the animals were often disobedient.

Yami felt another playful tap on his heel, and he lifted his leg high in the air, unfazed. If his owner didn’t want his feet on the pillows, then he would move them.

Yami felt another tap on his other foot, and he lifted both his feet into the air, watching the stitched puppets chase a mischievous rabbit across their fields of freshly planted carrots.

Seto couldn’t help but stare at the curves along Yami’s ass, enjoying the way the fabric of his pants stretched softly across his balls every time Yami shifted his legs in the air. He felt himself smile as he watched Yami ignore him.

Yami’s feet landed softly on the mattress beside him again, and Seto took this chance to wrap his slender fingers around Yami’s ankle, running his thumb along the base of Yami’s heel, surprised when Yami didn’t react. He released Yami’s ankle and brushed the back of his fingers along the base of Yami’s foot, seeing his toes curl delightfully.

Yami felt his owner touching his feet purposefully, tickling him, trying to make him laugh. Deciding he wouldn’t react one way or another, Yami grit his teeth and ignored his owner’s fingers trailing up his calf, watching the puppet family capture the rabbit and place it into a cage.  
He now learned the Japanese word for rabbit, so this show was helping immensely.  
He was starting to worry that the family would eat the rabbit.  
They wouldn’t…would they?  
  
Seto bit back a grin as he gently grabbed Yami’s toes and rolled them between his fingers, thinking Yami’s skin was incredibly soft, even at the bottoms of his feet.  
  
If Yami came from the streets, wouldn’t his heels be covered in callouses?

Deeply interested, Seto leaned forwards and grabbed Yami’s foot, running his palms over the pads of Yami’s toes, feeling for hard callouses.  
He found none and felt Yami curling his toes into his hand.  
  
Seto lightly rubbed Yami’s toes again, watching the boy’s shoulders visibly relax, his eyes still glued to the screen. He reached for Yami’s other foot, and to his great surprise, Yami brought his foot down willingly. Deciding not to question it, Seto ran his thumb across the base of Yami’s heel, methodically searching for callouses or scars.

Yami blinked, feeling his focus slip as his owner gently rubbed his feet, gripping his heels tightly before going through each of his toes carefully.  
How…gross and strange!  
His owner liked feet!  
  
Back in his country, Yami had often heard women in the marketplace gossiping and ridiculing their husbands for enjoying their feet in bed.  
Was this what it was?!

Seto felt the boy tense suddenly as he passed over the middle of his foot, and that prompted him to press his thumb into soft arch, wondering if there had been a previous injury in that spot.

Yami hissed in discomfort, resisting the urge to kick out at his owner. If this man wanted to play with his feet, fine. His feet were dirty anyway.

Seto smirked, pressing his knuckles firmly into the center of Yami’s foot.  
This was payback for withholding information earlier.  
He crept his fingers up along the outer edge of Yami’s foot and pressed his fingers between each of his toes, enjoying the way Yami’s toes curled over his knuckles.

Yami felt his face heat up inadvertently, and he gripped the sheets tightly, trying not to let his owner’s touch affect him. It felt like his owner was intentionally massaging his feet!  
  
It felt odd…but it wasn’t unpleasant….  
In fact, this almost felt like…pampering.

His owner’s hands continued to rub soft circles in the center of his foot, and each time his owner pressed a finger between his toes, Yami felt a jolt of heat shoot straight up through his entire body.

Seto watched Yami roll from side to side, clearly still trying his best to ignore him. He pressed his fingers gently into the pads of Yami’s toes, watching Yami tremble visibly. He released Yami’s foot and leaned back into the pillows, deciding he ought to stop teasing the boy. He was clearly trying to watch the show undisturbed.

Yami twitched and felt himself shiver when his owner’s hands left the bottoms of his feet.  
  
He risked a glance behind him and saw that his owner was once again uninterested. His face was dipped downwards, his sharp cheekbones illuminated a light blue as he continued reading from his electronic pad.

Yami blinked and stretched his feet out invitingly, giving his owner’s elbow a firm nudge with his toes. Come on, continue!  
  
His owner enjoyed pampering, and Yami was enjoying himself thoroughly.

Seto felt his eyelid twitch as Yami’s toes bumped against his elbow, causing his finger to tap a link he didn’t care for. What the fuck?  
  
Seto shoved Yami’s feet away and turned back to his screen, watching as Yami stubbornly stuck his feet further up along the pillows. He nudged Yami’s feet away, watching Yami raise himself up on his elbows and throw him a demanding glare.

Seto blinked, feeling his heart skip a solid beat.

“I’m not massaging your feet,” Seto said firmly, raising the pad up to his face. To his increasing horror, Yami’s foot inched up along his legs, and he was given another glare.

Yami stretched his leg out as far as it could go, desperately wishing his owner would continue touching his feet. Why did he want to stop? It was just starting to feel good! His owner was always like this; starting something and then leaving halfway! So selfish.

Suddenly, he felt cold palms along his heels, and Yami cried out excitedly, feeling his owner purposely tickle the bottoms of his feet, his nails scratching lightly across the pads of his toes.

Yami let out a yell of laughter and squirmed, twisting over onto his back just in time to see his owner grab his other foot and tickle it furiously. Yami felt his chest tighten and his eyes water as his owner pinned his feet down and pinched his toes.

“That-that tickles!” Yami gasped, jerking his legs away playfully, feeling another peal of laughter force its way out of his chest as his owner gripped his toes tightly and rolled each one between his fingers. Okay! That was enough!

Seto released Yami’s ankles and leaned back into the pillows triumphantly.  
There. Now, Yami would leave him alone.

Yami doubled over onto the mattress, panting and breathless, his stomach hurting from all the laughter. He leaned back on all fours, feeling lightheaded, watching his own chest rise and fall with his heavy breathing.

Seto glanced up quickly and received a slight shock when he noticed Yami’s erection straining tightly across the fabric of his thin lounge wear. No…no, no, no!

Yami met his owner’s gaze and smiled brightly, enjoying the way his owner’s cheeks were flushed a light pink. His owner was incredibly handsome, and Yami tore his gaze away to glance down at himself, freezing as he suddenly realized his dick was hard.

Yami jerked his head up and saw his owner tilt his head down so quickly, his brown hair shifted slightly across his brow.  
It was obvious his owner had been staring!  
Did his owner want to touch it? Lick it?

Excited at the thought of the hot, wet feeling of his owner’s mouth around his center, Yami rose to his knees and edged closer, thinking the reward might be even greater because he was initiating willingly this time!  
Perhaps his owner would take him out to see the ocean in this country!

Seto grit his teeth and kept his gaze firmly fixed on the article on his pad, the words sliding terribly off the screen as Yami inched towards him on the bed.  
  
_Do nothing,_ Seto berated himself. _Do not respond._

“Seto…” Yami said tentatively, and he pointed at the outline of his own dick straining through his pants, feeling himself twitch excitedly. Touch me here! The front is fine!

Seto kept his head lowered, feeling his cheeks grow impossibly hot.  
Fuck.  
No.  
No sex on the bed.  
No sex on the bed.

“Seto…?” Yami inquired, tilting his head innocently to the side, feeling disappointment quickly swell up inside him. Maybe a kiss, then!

“Kiss.” Yami said firmly, sitting back on his heels, staring at his own arousal, feeling oddly neglected. His owner was being cold.

“No. Take care of it yourself,” Seto said roughly, almost biting his tongue as he closed his mouth quickly. He stared so hard at the article on the screen, the words left green afterimages in his vision.

Yami blinked as he realized he could barely understand what his owner had said. _“No….yourself.…”_

“Myself?” Yami asked tentatively, blinking rapidly, feeling his body heat up so fast, he nearly wet himself.

“Yes. Go fucking do it yourself.” Seto responded gruffly. Unable to stare at his screen any longer, he lifted his head up to glare at Yami, faltering terribly when he saw Yami press a palm against his own crotch.

Yami felt his head spin as he realized his owner wanted to do that strange thing where he only watched and didn’t touch.  
Fine. This was fine.

Seto watched with bated breath as Yami casually stuck his hand in his pants and began feeling himself up. The outline of his erection was no longer visible.  
Seto felt his breathing grow shallow.  
  
No…this was bad….

Yami saw his owner’s expression darken and he grit his teeth, carefully raising himself up on his knees while boldly sliding his pants off his hips, right along with his underwear, giving his owner a full view of his erection.  
  
The tip was shiny and wet, and Yami tentatively reached forwards to give his own slit a gentle rub, feeling a dull jolt of pleasure run down his legs. Yami did it again, sliding his thumb around the head of his penis, feeling himself grow more and more excited as he rubbed along his length, enjoying the hot threads of electricity shooting through his core every time he moved his hand.

Seto blinked rapidly and tore his eyes away to glance out the window, realizing it was futile as his head swiveled right back around to stare at Yami shamelessly masturbating on top of the sheets, apparently enjoying the fact that he was being watched. He saw Yami touch himself slowly and gently, too slowly, too gently; it was so frustrating to watch! And the boy wasn’t even doing it on purpose!  
  
It was blatantly obvious he was exploring himself for the first time, and it was difficult to watch, but for some reason, Seto couldn’t help _but_ watch.

He saw Yami move his hands harder and faster along his length, and Seto found himself wishing he could see more. He wanted to see Yami’s balls pressed taut up against the rim of his waistband. He wanted to roll their softness between his hands while Yami jerked himself off….

Seto bit his tongue painfully and stopped his dirty train of thoughts, watching Yami sit back on his heels, looking flushed, clearly having trouble reaching orgasm. 

 _Faster…you do it faster_! Seto thought angrily, his gaze fixed longingly at Yami’s tip, which was leaking pitifully. He felt his mouth go dry as he suddenly remembered how Yami tasted.  
Thick…and sweet.  
It was such a satisfying swallow….

Yami trembled and shook, gritting his teeth as he tried to recreate the hot, searing feeling that was usually accompanied with squirting white fluid. It wasn’t coming. He was stuck between an agonizing limbo of hot jolts of pleasure and a dull ache at the base of his stomach.  
  
Yami felt his dick throb, and his head spun violently, his breath coming out in shallow pants, unable to think clearly as he tightly squeezed his tip again, pressing his finger into his slit the way his owner often did, but it only sent another electric jolt of warmth up through his core.  
  
How much longer did he have to rub himself until the hot, searing feeling came and consumed his body? Where was that feeling?

Yami sat back further on his heels, growing increasingly frustrated. He lifted his head to meet his owner’s gaze which was burning with such intensity, Yami felt his dick swell in his hands.  
In a haze of lust, Yami managed to recall the words he had learned earlier.  
  
“Seto…help,” he said weakly, releasing his arousal slowly, feeling his fingers grow stiff. This was absolute torture. He was sweating all over, and his vision was fading in and out as his arousal throbbed painfully and leaked again. Did his owner enjoy this type of thing?

Seto could feel his resolve slipping as he gazed intently at Yami’s dick, watching Yami jut upwards on his knees, his thighs trembling so much, Seto could feel it from his side of the bed.  
The moment he heard Yami say his name, he lost all semblance of his self-control.  
  
Seto eased forwards with a low growl, watching Yami nod frantically, his violet eyes wild and desperate.

He reached his hands out to touch Yami, feeling him tremble as he yanked Yami’s pants down so low, they pooled around his knees, enjoying the full view of Yami’s dick jutting out from his slender body.  
He saw Yami shiver and reach down to touch his own length again but Seto swatted his hand away irritably, his eyes watering as he gently grabbed ahold of Yami’s balls and gave them a firm roll between his fingers, relishing their softness.  
Holy shit…holy shit…they felt heavenly.  
They felt like…candy.  
They probably tasted like candy too.

Without thinking twice, Seto pushed Yami down onto the bed and lifted his legs high into the air, firmly shoving his head down between Yami’s slender thighs and giving his testicles a firm lick, inhaling deeply, enjoying Yami’s sweet, musky scent. He heard Yami cry out delightedly above him and give his head a firm squeeze with his thighs.

Yami felt his owner gently fondle and pat his balls, causing his stomach to clench and twist wonderfully. Suddenly, a hot tongue came down and began licking and sucking… everywhere: in the space between his balls and his thigh, the tip of his dick, down his balls, and once again, his dick disappeared into his owner’s mouth.

Yami felt his vision turn white and he arched his back, panting eagerly, enjoying the way his owner’s tongue swirled wonderfully around his entire length. His owner’s head was moving quickly up and down along his shaft too, and cold fingers gently massaged his testicles.

It felt…so…good!

Yami could feel the tightness building behind his stomach, but this time, it felt like an enormous wave of pleasure was crashing over him again and again as his owner sucked him hard every time his stomach clenched.

Unable to speak or think, Yami leaned his head back into the mattress and lost himself in the feeling, his core heating up so much that in one giant heave, Yami felt himself cum thickly into his owner’s mouth.

This time, Seto was ready for it.  
He felt Yami buck his hips upwards as a stream of hot semen flooded into his mouth, and he reached down to cup Yami’s ass, lifting Yami’s hips up higher as he let the thick essence slide smoothly down his throat, feeling Yami’s legs twitching and trembling around his head.

Seto pulled off and gave the inside of Yami’s thigh a playful bite for good measure, watching Yami squirm happily and prop himself up on his elbows, flashing him a pretty smile.

Seto blinked and dropped Yami’s legs heavily down onto the bed, a dark swirl of guilt rising up in his chest as he felt semen drying at the corners of his mouth.  
Fuck….  
What the fuck had happened to ‘no sex on the bed’?!

Yami felt his head spinning pleasantly as he stared at the bulge in his owner’s pants. He sat up quickly and pointed excitedly, forgetting for a moment that his owner couldn’t understand him. “I want to see the way you do it!”  
Maybe he could learn...!

Seto sat back on his heels and stared at Yami’s slender dick, which was still standing at attention, the area around his balls and inner thighs shining with wetness.  
  
He had understood a portion of what Yami had just said _._

_“…..you do it!”_

No…No fucking way. Was this…really okay?!

“Come on…! Before it goes away!” Yami said hastily, bringing a foot down to give his owner’s groin a firm nudge. He shivered happily as he felt the pads of his toes press against his owner’s girth.

Yami watched his owner sit back on his heels and glance down at himself, his head lowered so much that his brown bangs obscured his eyes.

Annoyed, Yami inched forwards on his ass and pressed his entire heel up against his owner’s center, feeling his owner push forwards stiffly and freeze up.

“Seto…” Yami urged, easing his foot forwards again when he was suddenly yanked forwards by the ankles and his owner’s clothed crotch pressed up against his balls.

Yami felt the fabric moving roughly over his testicles and he bit his lip nervously, watching his owner unbuckle his pants with swift, frantic motions, his fingers trembling as they lowered the zipper down on his fly.

Seto felt his head spin wildly as he saw Yami’s chest rising and falling with anticipation. He freed his erection from his pants and leaned forwards, hovering tensely over Yami, suddenly imagining himself shoving his dick into Yami’s ass…fucking him raw.

He reached down and grabbed himself, rubbing his length firmly with even strokes, blinking and shuddering as Yami propped himself higher up on his elbows to watch, his violet gaze fixed intensely on his dick.

Yami could feel his mouth going dry as he watched his owner pleasure himself, the tip of his owner’s dick hovered dangerously over his own, and Yami briefly wondered what it would feel like if they rubbed their tips together.  
  
The thought made him dizzy and he watched as his owner continued to furiously stroke himself, occasionally looking up to make eye contact, and Yami could feel his stomach twisting strangely every time his owner gazed into his eyes with his cheeks flushed.

Yami glanced down at his owner’s slender hand, which was gripping his shaft tightly, moving his hand up and down so fast that his knuckles became a blur. He could hear his owner’s pants coming from above him, and Yami tensed excitedly, leaning his head up to stare at his owner’s face, which was inches from him.  
  
Seto kept his gaze locked firmly on the tips of Yami’s spiky blonde bangs, masturbating steadily, feeling his mind wander to the image of Yami panting eagerly beneath him, and he felt himself cum in a slow, controlled heave.  
  
Yami watched his owner shudder slightly, and he felt a wet stream of liquid hit his skin; he tensed, realizing his owner had released his fluids. Yami felt it splash across his stomach, and a few warm droplets hit the tip of his dick, and he trembled, reaching down to touch himself again, wondering if he could make himself squirt a second time. Seeing his owner do it on top of him made him excited all over again.

Seto sat back on his heels, his ears ringing heavily as he tried to remain composed, feeling his hand become sticky and cold.  
He glanced down and felt his chest constrict painfully when he saw Yami lewdly rub his fresh semen over the tip of his dick, looking as if he was trying to jerk himself off again.  
  
Holy hell, no! Seto almost had a heart attack.  
  
He reached down and grabbed the boy’s wrist without thinking, wincing as his semen-covered hand closed around the boy’s wrist. Shit. FUCKING GROSS! Shiiiit!

He felt Yami tense so much, his elbow stiffened.

“Fuck!” Seto yelled, releasing Yami quickly and backing away from him, his heart pounding frantically in his chest.

There was a soft knock at the door and Isono’s voice came floating in through the crack, and Yami panicked, scrambling off the bed in a frantic haste, accidently kneeing his owner in the center as he did so.

Seto felt his vision turn green and he doubled over onto the mattress, his groin throbbing as he heard Isono open the door with a soft click.  
  
F-FUCK!

“M-Master Kaiba…!” Isono cried, rushing forwards towards the bed, turning a deep shade of red as he spied the mess of liquids splayed across the sheets while Kaiba was bent over, one hand gripping the edge of his lowered trousers, the other wrapped around his stomach, clearly in pain.

“I-I’ll come back later!” Isono yelped, dashing out the door and slamming it behind him loudly.

Seto took several deep breaths, feeling his pain subsiding as his vision returned to its normal color.

“Yami!” Seto yelled, brushing the hair out of his eyes with the back of his hand in a blind fit of rage and humiliation, feeling his balls ache.  
Holy fuck, Yami moved fast!  
Where the fuck did he go?!

Yami’s spiky head appeared from the edge of the bed and Seto breathed a deep sigh of relief.  
It seemed he had rolled under the bed in a frantic attempt to hide from Isono, and Seto had never felt more grateful than in that moment.  
  
If Isono had seen him with his pants down, hovering over Yami, who was covered in their combined fluids….

Seto brushed the thought out of his head and moved towards the bathroom, leaning down to grab Yami by the arm and pointing towards the shower.

Yami shook his head and made a frantic wrapping motion around his bandaged wrist and Seto mentally slapped himself. Fuck.

Stepping out of his ruined trousers, Seto marched over to his desk and grabbed the plastic wrap. Yami obediently held out his arm, his heart pounding furiously in his chest as he realized they had almost been caught by the head servant.  
  
It appeared his owner didn’t want to be seen touching him…!

Yami secretly filed this information away in his mind, thinking it would come in useful later, watching his owner neatly wrap his arm in plastic.

His owner led him into the other room and shoved him into the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind him.

Yami stood very still, his ears ringing with silence as he stared down at himself. He was covered in fluids, again, but this time, Yami found that he didn’t mind as much.

In fact, he didn’t mind at all. His owner had been gentle, and his actions were earnest.

Yami stepped into the shower and stood under the rush of water, his owner’s hand gripping his shaft replaying over and over in his mind. He looked down at himself and re-imagined his owner’s length hovering right in front of his own dick.  
It was…unfair.  
His owner’s length was somehow girthier.

 _Mine is smaller…_ Yami thought forlornly, feeling the water run off his body in a steady stream. He briefly wondered if his owner pleasured women in a similar manner, and Yami’s stomach churned uncomfortably. He wouldn’t think about that.

Shutting the water off firmly, Yami dried himself off quickly and walked out into his room, receiving a slight shock when he saw Isono standing in the middle of his room, looking stressed.

Deciding to ignore him, Yami strode across the room and slid his closet doors open, hastily pulling out a fresh set of clothes and getting dressed. He heard the servant clear his throat behind him, and Yami turned around slowly, grinding his teeth in annoyance.  
  
What did the servant want?!

“I know what you’re doing with Mr. Kaiba, and I’m asking you to stop.” Isono said slowly, crossing his arms firmly, keeping his voice low.  
He would quickly convey this to the foreigner before Master Kaiba finished washing up.

Yami blinked slowly, barely understanding what the servant was saying.

_“….Kaiba….stop”_

“Stop?” Yami echoed, wondering if he was understanding correctly.

“Yes, stop!” Isono responded furiously, feeling a deep rush of satisfaction as the foreigner seemed to understand him completely, “He is interested in women! Stop touching him!”

Yami understood the next phrase perfectly.  
  
_“Stop touching him!”_

The servant was angry that he was touching the master of the house.  
Why was the servant blaming him?! Isono should be angry at Seto!

Yami crossed his arms defiantly and tilted his hips at an angle, standing his ground, “Tell _him_ to stop touching me!”

There.  
He had said it.  
This was the phrase he had repeated out loud, quietly, a thousand times while writing it in the practice sheets.  
But Yami couldn’t help but feel that something was off.  
He didn’t mind that his owner was touching him.  
Why was the servant so angry about it?!

Yami watched with deep satisfaction as Isono turned white and glanced frantically over his shoulder at the connecting door. The sound of running water had stopped completely and Yami heard the bathroom door swing open.

Yami took this chance to dash past the servant and slam the connecting door shut, but not before enjoying the look of pure horror painted across Isono’s face.

Seto jumped, staring at Yami who was leaning heavily against the connecting door, looking shaken. Why the fuck was this kid slamming doors at three in the fucking morning?! Mokuba was sleeping!

“What the fuck are you doing?” Seto asked irritably, striding over to his closet and pulling out a fresh set of clothes.

“Isono,” Yami answered firmly, moving quietly towards the bed, once again surprised to see that new sheets had been fitted around the mattress. Well, that old man sure worked fast.

“What about Isono?” Seto asked hurriedly, feeling his face heat up inadvertently. Fuck.  
  
It was embarrassing enough for Isono to see the dirty sheets after rough sex with his secretary.  
  
It was another thing entirely to have Isono walk in on him, bowled over in pain, with his pants around his knees, right after Yami had kicked him in the groin.

“I hate him,” Yami said flatly, not understanding what his owner was asking, but he heard the servant’s name again. He climbed smoothly into Seto’s bed, tucking his feet underneath the covers, wiggling his toes happily.

Seto sighed and gazed at Yami for a long moment, seeing him lying casually in his bed.

Yami blinked and patted the spot on the bed beside him, wondering why his owner was just standing there looking stupid.  
Sleep.

Seto moved forwards and slipped underneath the covers, surprised to find that it was warm. He saw Yami smile sleepily up at him and inch closer towards him, looking relaxed and content.  
Jesus.  
This felt weird.  
This felt like...they were newlyweds, cuddling together after a round of sex.

He watched Yami shut his eyes and begin to drift off easily, and Seto couldn’t help but reach out to brush the spiky blonde bangs away from Yami’s face. His sleeping expression was so peaceful and…beautiful.

Forcing his mind to remain blank, Seto pulled the covers up around himself and pressed his face into the pillows, catching a whiff of Yami’s scent floating up from beside him.  
Gritting his teeth, Seto shut his eyes and forced himself to remain still.  
Sleep would come eventually.

* * *

 

Yami was woken up roughly by a heavy weight leaning on top of him, almost crushing the air out of his lungs.

“WAKE UP!” Mokuba shouted in his ear, shaking him insistently. “WAKE UP! We’re going!!! We’re going...!”

Yami sat up so quickly, his head spun and his vision turned slightly green, watching Mokuba wave a sheet of paper wildly above their owner’s unmoving head.  
Going?? Going where? Was the house on fire?! What was happening?!

“Seto Seto Seto SETO!” Mokuba cried excitedly, hugging his still-sleeping brother tightly around the neck, smothering him underneath the sheets. “BEACH! You promised! Beeeeach!”

Seto grit his teeth and rolled over onto his side, burying his face deeper into the pillows, feeling a headache coming on as the bed dipped and rolled violently beneath him.

Yami blinked, trying to understand the strange sounds coming from Mokuba’s mouth. What was a “beech”?

Seto sat up slowly and palmed his face tiredly, watching his younger brother bounce up beside him. Yami was wide awake, staring at them curiously.

“I want to see the test first,” Seto said groggily, blinking slowly, trying to clear his mind.

“I brought it!” Mokuba said triumphantly, shoving a wrinkled paper into his brother’s lap.

Seto glanced down at the test, noticing that Mokuba had scored a solid 90%. He had misspelled several words here and there, but the sentence structures were accurate.

“I even passed the verbal test! I can prove it…” Mokuba exclaimed, almost toppling over onto the mattress in his excitement, hastily jumbling together a sentence in English _,_ “Tell me I did good! Let’s go to the beach!”

“You did _well._ ” Seto corrected, neatly folding Mokuba’s test and handing it back to him. “Pack your things and we’ll head out”

Yami felt his breath catch in his throat as he listened to the odd sounds dropping from both his owner’s mouth and Mokuba’s. What on earth…?!  
Were they speaking yet _another_ language?!  
Was this Mokuba’s native language?

 _Impossible!_ Yami thought miserably, his head spinning as he gripped the sheets so hard he felt his knuckles ache.

“Awesome!” Mokuba yelled, rolling off the bed and rushing out of the room, almost tripping over himself in his haste.

Seto eased out of bed, throwing a casual glance over his shoulder at Yami, who was sitting very still with his head lowered so much, his spiky blond bangs were obscuring his face.

Sighing heavily, Seto walked towards the bathroom to freshen up.  
He wasn’t in the mood to deal with one of Yami’s odd tantrums.

Yami heard his owner enter the bathroom, and the sound of water running echoed through the room. He shivered, feeling goosebumps rise up along his arms. What language was that? He had never heard of it before!

Deciding he had to find out, Yami threw the covers off of himself and rushed through the connecting door and back into his room. He swept his translation dictionary up off his desk, carefully constructing a question in his mind. He would ask Mokuba what the language was, suddenly realizing that he wouldn’t be able to understand Mokuba’s answer.

Frustrated, Yami slammed the dictionary shut and felt his eyes heating up dangerously as a barrage of questions flooded his mind.  
What did his owner do for a living that made him so much money?!  
What country did Mokuba come from?!  
Did his owner purchase foreign toys on purpose?  
Perhaps the language barrier was something he wanted!

Suddenly, Mokuba burst into his room looking extremely excited, carrying a bag full of lumpy items.

“Here…put this on!” Yami heard Mokuba say as a pair of light blue shorts caught him in the face.

Yami glanced down at the shorts in his hands, thinking the fabric felt oddly light. They looked like they would fit him, which was strange.  
Why would Mokuba have a pair of shorts that were too big for his small body?

Their owner walked into the room, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and similar pair of dark blue shorts. Yami blinked, taken aback by the sudden change.  
  
He glanced at Mokuba, who was also wearing a pair of shorts.  
What was going on…?  
Did they want him to change into shorts too? Why?!

“Get changed,” his owner said curtly, and he held his hand out towards Mokuba. “C’mon…” and Yami couldn’t understand anything else his owner said.

Mokuba gave Yami a brilliant grin and followed his brother into the other room, slamming the connecting door shut.

Yami watched them go, a strange feeling curling in his chest. Was his owner planning on dirtying Mokuba while they all wore similar shorts? What was happening?  
  
Yami could hear Mokuba’s laughter floating from the other room and hastily stepped out of his pants to slip the shorts on, deciding he would go along with it, for now….

Yami noticed the waistband was a bit loose, but that was fine. He was just tying the string around his waist when a knock sounded at the door and Isono entered the room.

Yami tensed, watching Isono ignore him and exit the room swiftly after leaving a set of wrapped sandwiches on the low table. Mokuba burst into the room and swept the sandwiches into his bag before grabbing Yami by the hand, leading him out of the room and down the staircase.

Yami felt his head spin as Mokuba’s tiny hand tightened over his wrist once they were outside. The whiteness from the pavement stung his eyes as the sun beat down across his neck and shoulders. It was hot today…!

Seto appeared behind them, also carrying a dark bag, and Mokuba cheered loudly again, dragging Yami behind him forcefully, heading towards the garage.

“Mokuba, slow down,” Seto said anxiously, watching Yami blink and stumble forwards, looking dazed.  
  
On one hand, he was glad Mokuba was warming up to Yami.  
  
On the other hand, Seto was worried that Mokuba was treating Yami like his new pet.

Yami could barely contain his disbelief as he stared at the wide expanse of grass before him. It looked familiar. Had he been on this side of the house before?  
Yami craned his neck and looked upwards along the walls of the house, seeing his own window.  
The house was monstrous!

A large door was sliding upwards, revealing the row of gleaming cars Yami had remembered seeing during his brief exploration of the house.

Mokuba yanked him forwards again and ran towards a large box-shaped car.  
It was very tall and white. The passenger compartment was sitting on large wheels lined with a blinding silver material.    
  
The car looked oddly familiar.  
  
Yami glanced at the badge on the car and froze, fear trickling through his entire being as he recognized it immediately. This badge was something he had often seen on cars in his own country, but usually, the cars had an open top, and men with guns were seated on all sides, facing outwards.  
  
This was a military car. 

“C’mon!”

Mokuba was already sitting inside, patting the white leather seats beside him, kicking his feet excitedly.

Yami glanced inside cautiously, his heart pounding in his ears as he observed the tall, rectangular seats, eyeing the circular badge sitting in the center of a leather-wrapped steering wheel.  
How terrifying.  
Did his owner use this car for leisurely travel?! This was a military car!  
  
Yami frowned and glanced at the door, carefully running his hands along the side panels, giving it a light knock, shivering as he heard the solid thunk that indicated the panels were bullet-proof.

There were guns in this country, Yami knew, because he had seen them on the belts of the men who had first brought him into this house.  
  
Were they going somewhere where being shot at was a possibility?  
Why was Mokuba so excited?!

“Come on!” Mokuba whined, watching Yami run his hands along the door panels strangely. What the heck was he doing? Had he never been in a car before?!

Seto stopped dead in his tracks as he watched Yami methodically pat and knock along the door panels of his Mercedes. Holy…fuck.  
Could he tell the car was armored just by knocking?

Yami heard his owner’s footsteps approaching him quickly from behind, and he scrambled into the car, sliding right beside Mokuba, swallowing nervously as he watched his owner move forwards to close the door with an echoing click.

Seto tucked the bag he’d been holding right into the footwell of the passenger’s side and threw Mokuba a reassuring smile. “Ready?”

“Yes!” Mokuba exclaimed happily, grinning broadly, glancing at Yami’s face, noticing that he looked nervous and frightened. “What’s wrong, Yami?”

Seto bit his tongue and ducked out of the passenger’s side and slammed the door shut, circling the car quickly.  
He knew exactly what was wrong.  
  
Yami was frightened because knew the car was armored. Clever.  
  
Seto smirked to himself and climbed into driver’s side, revving the engine quietly, noting that the atmosphere was very quiet.

Mokuba had his head lowered and his face was very red. Yami was sitting stiffly, his arms and legs crossed, his brows knitted together in a frown.

Deciding to worry about it later, Seto eased the car out of the garage and sped off his property.

* * *

  **Author’s note:**

School has started for me (too soon!!), and I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

I am now fully back on my weekly schedules of publishing both Case001 and this fic!

Thank you for your patience and for leaving a review! They make me smile every time I read them!

Hugs,

Ugli


	14. Could you ever love

Mokuba gripped his knees tightly, Yami’s words ringing in his ears as the car made a gentle turn onto the highway.

 _“What’s wrong, Yami?”_ He had asked and Yami had turned to give him the most serious look.

 _“I’ll keep you safe, Mokuba.”_ Was all Yami said, right before Seto got into the car and started the engine.

Mokuba was thoroughly shaken.  
He lifted his head and gave Yami another anxious look, watching him stare excitedly out the windows. Yami had sounded exactly like Seto, back when they were at the orphanage. The frightened, wide-eyed expression was also reminiscent of Seto’s behavior before Gozaburo came into their lives.

Yami glanced down at the gold bands on his arm, watching them glitter in the sunlight as they sped down a wide road with other cars.  
His owner knew how to drive as well.  
For a rich person, Seto sure acted like he could do well on his own, even if he didn’t have money.

Yami had always assumed the rich were fat and lazy, but his owner was giving him a completely different feeling. His owner knew how to cook, drive, and speak many languages. To top it all off, he was extremely intelligent, and…young.  
That was the part that baffled Yami the most.  
Had his owner come up with a world-changing idea? Was that where his money came from? And if he could have women, why was Mokuba the first toy he had purchased?

 _And I’m the second,_ Yami thought glumly, wondering if there would be a third stranger arriving at the house sometime in the future.

Seto leaned back into the seat and eased off the gas, feeling the car slow down as they pulled off the highway. Why was it so quiet back there?  
  
Mokuba looked very serious as he gazed out the window.  
Yami was staring at the bracelets on his arm, turning them in the light, his eyes wide as the diamonds cast rainbow sparkles across the white leather seats.

Seto gripped the wheel tighter, calling out to his brother, “Mokuba? You’re awfully quiet back there. Both of you.”

“We’re okay Seto.” Mokuba replied softly and Yami perked his ears up, listening to them speak.

He hadn’t understood what his owner said, but Mokuba had said, _“We’re okay…”_

Yami felt his stomach grumble and he shifted in his seat, uncrossing his legs, feeling the fabric of the shorts rub along his legs. Suddenly, he caught a whiff of owner’s scent drifting up lightly around him. Blinking, Yami stiffened, inhaling lightly.  
It was his owner’s scent without the overpowering sweetness.  
Where was it coming from…the seats?!

Yami watched the scenery change outside the window, noticing that the tall buildings of the city had disappeared; they had been replaced by trees and cliffs.

Suddenly, Mokuba scooted forwards on his seat, clicking off the safety belt and bouncing excitedly. “We’re here! We’re here!”

“Mokuba, stay in your seat, and stay buckled!” Seto snapped, easing the car to a gentle stop at a red light. He heard Mokuba grumble and the buckle clicked back into place.

Yami felt his heart racing so quickly, he could barely contain himself as he finally understood what was happening.  
  
This was a reward outing!  
  
Mokuba had shown Seto a piece of paper, probably a practice sheet of sorts, and he had been excited for the entire morning.  
His owner had not left for work as he usually did, and it was just the three of them.  
  
If this was an outing, where were the bodyguards?!

Yami felt his head spin as he gazed out the window, seeing a row of brightly lit shops with people hustling and bustling around on the sidewalk. Children dressed in brightly colored shorts and tops were holding plastic floats in the shapes of animals while their parents stood underneath tables with wide umbrellas, drinking and eating happily.

Then, Yami caught sight of a beautiful, wide expanse of ocean, just before it disappeared behind several tall buildings. He gasped audibly and when Mokuba heard this, he leaned forward excitedly. “Did you see it? The ocean?”

Yami blinked rapidly, unable to hide his incredulity and astonishment, “Y-Yes Mokuba, I did…” His heart leaped and soared. This was amazing! This was better than he could’ve imagined! A reward outing…at the ocean!

Seto tightened his grip around the steering wheel, thoroughly shaken as he listened to the exchange between Yami and Mokuba. Holy fucking…shit.

Yami watched more trees whizzing by his window, wondering why they were headed upwards. The ocean was down there! He stared up at the bright blue sky peeking out from behind the dense trees, feeling the car pull to a gentle halt.

He blinked, realizing they had stopped in a shaded grove.

“Yay!! YAY yay yay YAY!” Mokuba chanted, unclicking his safety belt and grabbing his bag. “C’mon Yami!”

He reached over and grabbed Yami by the wrist, pausing as his hand wrapped around a strange, rough fabric.

Yami winced but didn’t withdraw his hand. Mokuba had grabbed him right on his wounded wrist.

“Sorry!” Mokuba yelped, jerking his hand back, his heart thumping nervously in his chest as he watched Yami give him a slow, gentle smile.

Seto watched this exchange carefully and eased out of the driver’s seat, closing the door with a loud click. It seemed that Yami and Mokuba were much closer than he’d anticipated.  He circled the car and yanked the passenger door open, rummaging around in his bag for the plastic wrap he had brought.

Yami nodded reassuringly at Mokuba, seeing his owner open the door for Mokuba with a roll of plastic wrap tucked under his arm. Oh…his wrist needed to stay dry.

Mokuba scrambled out of the car and toted the lumpy bag over his shoulder, jumping up and down with excitement. Yami noticed the ground was unusually sandy and he hesitated, watching his owner point at the plastic wrap beneath his arm.

“Get out of the car.” Seto said impatiently, opening the door wider, waving the plastic wrap in front of his face.

Yami slid across the leather seats and climbed out of the car, feeling his heels sting as he landed flat on his feet.

“Arm.” Seto said hastily, pulling out a long sheet, feeling Mokuba’s eyes watching his every move.

Yami lifted his arm obediently and watched his owner go over his wrist three times, neatly sticking the plastic together with ease.

“Can we go now?!” Mokuba whined, kicking the sand and shuffling the heavy bag of food onto his other shoulder.

“Yes, Mokuba, stop that.” Seto demanded as he felt a spray of sand catch the backs of his calves and slide down into his shoes.

Yami blinked, hearing his owner snap at Mokuba and tucked the roll of plastic into a similar blue bag.

 _I am the only one without a bag,_ Yami thought enviously, watching Mokuba shuffle the bag to his other shoulder again. _Perhaps if I carry Mokuba’s bag for the entire day, I can keep it in my room when we get back…._

Yami snapped out of his thoughts as he realized Mokuba and his owner had left him behind. They were already far ahead, approaching a low barrier made of logs.

Fear shot through his core and Yami hurried forwards, feeling his shoes slide thickly over the sand. “W-Wait!” Yami cried out, seeing Mokuba turn to stick his tongue out playfully.

Yami bit his lip and watched his owner gesture for him to step over the log barrier.

Deeply confused, Yami did, feeling his feet sink deeper into the sand as the trees rustled quietly overhead. He shivered inadvertently, even though the wind was warm, they were still shaded by trees. Where was the ocean?!

“This way…!” Mokuba’s voice came from somewhere far in front as they continued to travel down a narrow trail. Yami kept his focus mainly on the backs of his owner’s pale, slender calves, watching his owner’s shoes sink into the sand before him.

Suddenly, the texture of the sand changed. It grew thicker and denser beneath his feet, and Yami could hear the deafening crashing of waves against shore.  
They were here!

Yami glanced up excitedly, craning his neck, trying to see around his owner’s tall frame. He could smell the light salty air every time the wind grazed his cheeks.

Seto hurried forwards and scanned the area, thankful to see it was deserted, watching Mokuba throw the bag down and run into the water.  
 The loud echo of the waves made his ears ring as he stood rigidly in place, feeling the wind ruffle through his hair.

Seto felt Yami rush past him so quickly, a shower of sand cascaded down his shins as the boy sprinted past him and joined Mokuba in the water. Seto stared, thunderstruck, seeing Yami grin prettily at Mokuba, who smiled back enthusiastically. He could feel his feet sinking deeper and deeper into the sand as he watched Mokuba kick water towards Yami and run off cackling.

Yami halfheartedly gave chase, trailing his fingers in the water by his thigh, leaping to avoid a sudden wave. He paused, drawing in several deep breaths and taking in the beautiful sight before him, enjoying the way the water lapped up against his knees.  
  
Marveling at how the sky stretched as far as his eye could see, Yami loved the way the water sparkled back at him in the bright sunlight. There was a large cliff to their right, and his owner had begun to set up a large umbrella in its shadow.

Yami blinked, suddenly registering that there were no people around at all. The sandy area was completely empty!

This is a private area! Yami realized with a jolt as a large wave almost knocked him off balance and his feet squished wetly in the sand. He glanced down and realized that in his excitement, he had forgotten to take off his shoes!

Hastily wading out of the water, Yami padded over to his owner, feeling his shorts stick solidly to his thighs.

“Yami…! Where…?” Mokuba called, sounding distant.

Yami gave Mokuba a light wave and pointed at his soaked shoes, seeing Mokuba nod in response. He approached his owner beneath the umbrella, briefly wondering if he would be upset that his shoes were ruined.

Seto watched with great interest as Yami cautiously pulled his shoes off, all of his gaiety from earlier had vanished, replaced with a solemn expression. Was Yami upset that he had ruined his shoes?

Seto unfolded a thick blanket and laid it out before him, watching Yami set the shoes neatly along the edge. He frowned, but ignored the boy, sitting down firmly atop the blanket and slipping out a pair of sunglasses.

Yami couldn’t help but stare at his owner, watching him slide on a pair of dark glasses, still managing to look incredibly handsome. He curled his toes into the sand, feeling goosebumps rise up along his legs as a warm gust of wind swept by.

“What are you staring at?” Seto growled, doing his best to ignore the fact that Yami’s crotch was clearly visible through his wet swim trunks… _his_ wet swim trunks.

 _Those are mine…_ Seto thought faintly, watching Yami bob his head politely and run off towards the water’s edge.

Yami felt his skin burn as the cold waves puddled around his ankles as he ran along the length of the beach. He caught up with Mokuba, who had inflated a giant, colorful plastic ball.

“Catch!” Mokuba yelled ecstatically, giving the beach ball a kick, watching Yami catch it in his hands and smile brightly at him.

 _Wow…he actually looks happy for a change_ , Mokuba mused privately, recalling all of Yami’s dark looks and glares throughout the past week.

The ball came soaring back at him and Mokuba caught the ball easily. He gave it a firm squeeze, feeling his shoulders burn as the sun beat down against his skin. He stared at Yami’s skin, noticing that it was a deep, chocolate brown, and it glistened in the sun.

“Here! You keep it. I need sunscreen.” Mokuba smiled at Yami again and tossed the ball back, wading out of the water, losing his balance as a small wave caught him around his ankles. He felt a strong, steady hand on his elbow, keeping him on his feet.

Yami planted his feet into the sand, feeling the water rush powerfully around his calves as Mokuba swayed and almost fell face-first into the water. Such a tiny child would easily get swept away!

Yami felt his irritation rising as Mokuba steadied himself and smiled gratefully. Why was their owner being so careless, letting him play alone?!

He followed Mokuba back towards their owner, who was sitting underneath the umbrella, clearly uninterested. Yami grit his teeth, regretting the fact that he didn’t have his dictionary. How could he convey his dissatisfaction to Seto?  
The hem of his shirt stuck wetly to the waistband of his shorts as he approached the umbrella.

“Seto! I’m hot…” Mokuba said lamely, throwing himself down on the blanket beside his older brother, patting his shoulders. “Please put the sun cream on my back.”

Seto reached into the beach bag and pulled out a white tube of sunscreen, patting the spot beside him on the blanket, “Sit here.”

Yami watched with great interest as Mokuba sat right up against their owner’s leg as their owner began rubbing cream onto his shoulders. A strange, thick smell filled the air and Yami wrinkled his nose, watching Mokuba stand up happily and grab the ball from his hands before running off again.

Seto capped the sunscreen and glanced up, making direct eye contact with Yami. He blinked and suddenly felt nervous, but then remembered Yami couldn’t see his eyes through the sunglasses. He patted the blanket and pointed at his own shoulders.  
Sit. You need sunscreen too…probably.

Yami hesitated and shook his head, wrinkling his nose at the strange cream.

His owner wanted the cream applied to his shoulders!  
Was it protection from the water? Or the sun?

Yami stared at his owner, wondering why on earth his owner couldn’t do it himself, and what’s more, his shirt was still on.

Seto halfheartedly patted the spot on the blanket again, watching Yami blink slowly at him and sink down into the spot beside him and hold his hand out, palm facing upwards.

 _Good_ , Seto thought stiffly, uncapping the sunscreen and squeezing a small dollop into Yami’s palm.

Yami stared at the white cream in his hand and grit his teeth. Fine. He would apply this cream on his owner. It would pay back the favor for the wound wrapping.

Yami pointed at Seto’s shirt and tugged at it with one hand, pointing at his palm and then at his shoulders. Take your shirt off, you fool.

Seto paused and felt his heart rate increase tenfold. What the…fuck? Oh shit. Misunderstanding.

 _He thinks I want him to apply it on me,_ Seto realized, feeling himself breaking out into a cold sweat.

Yami tugged impatiently at his shirt again, flashing him a glare.

Fine, fine. Seto thought hastily, peeling off his shirt and resisting the urge to palm his face.

Yami watched his owner shift on the blanket, turning his bare back to face him and he carelessly slapped the cream across his owner’s shoulders, feeling him wince and hiss in dissatisfaction.

 _Well, if you didn’t want me doing it this way, you could do it yourself,_ Yami mused to himself, sliding his palms down his owner’s back, amazed at how he could feel every dip and curve in Seto’s muscles. His palm began skidding across skin and Yami reached his hand out nonchalantly, waiting for more cream to be put into his hand.

Seto bit his tongue and added another large drop of sunscreen into Yami’s hand, feeling Yami carelessly slide his hands down his back. He shivered inadvertently, as Yami’s fingers reached his lower back and paused slightly. Seto blinked, his cheeks heating up as Yami’s hand appeared by his face again with sunscreen gathered between the cracks of his fingers.

He squeezed another large drop into Yami’s hands and felt the cold liquid touch his skin, accompanied by warm, gentle rubbing. God…this felt awkward…but oddly nice. Yami’s hands were small, but they made his skin tingle and his stomach flutter.

Mokuba glanced over at the umbrella, wondering where Yami was.  
He dropped his beach ball in shock when he saw Yami casually touching Seto’s back.  
  
Frozen in place, Mokuba continued to watch as Seto obediently turned around and sat cross-legged, facing Yami, dropping a blob of cream into his outstretched waiting hand.

Yami felt the cream hit his palm and he wasted no time, carefully spreading it across his owner’s chest, trying to ignore the frantic pounding of his heart. He knew perfectly well that his owner could apply the cream to the front of his chest by himself, but doing it for him was somehow…arousing.

Holding his breath, Yami brushed his hands over the curves of his owner’s chest, bringing his hands down to his owner’s stomach, pressing his fingers excitedly across the surface.  
He felt his owner tense, causing the muscles to ripple beneath his fingertips.  
  
Blinking in amazement, Yami gently padded his fingers back up this owner’s chest, bravely brushing over a nipple. He watched with bated breath as the small oval perked up.

 _Fun,_ Yami thought devilishly, reaching forwards to press his palm into the soft peak, resisting the urge to curl his fingertips in to squeeze his owner’s pectorals. Amazing. His owner’s body…was so nice to touch.

Seto was having trouble breathing.  
Each breath hitched in his throat as it seemed Yami was clearly just feeling him up instead of applying sunscreen.  
He was frozen in place and his body felt hot and cold at the same time as Yami’s fingers padded across his skin.  
Yami was being so…shameless, touching him so overtly, and he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. A smirk was sitting permanently on his lips while his head was ducked down, his spiky blonde bangs obscuring his eyes.

Yami sat back on his heels and admired how his owner’s body seemed to sparkle back at him while slick with the cream.  
Done.  
He stared into his owner’s face, trying to decipher his emotions, disappointed when he realized he could only see his own reflection in Seto’s the dark glasses.

Seto let out the breath he had been holding the moment he felt Yami’s hands leave his abdomen. Holy Jesus, this was dangerous.  
“We’re done h—" He was cut off in mid-sentence as Yami leaned forwards and pressed his lips warmly across his, causing a hot stream of fire to run down his body. No…No! He pressed his palm against Yami’s chest and pushed him away, biting his lip frantically as he tried to regain his composure.

Mokuba glanced over his shoulder and saw Yami kiss Seto on the mouth.  
He sat down so hard, the cold water splashed up around his waist and the wave carried his beach ball away.

He felt his face burning so much, his eyes began to water.  
  
Yami...liked Seto! Yami liked Seto… _that_ way!

He couldn’t believe it.

Mokuba continued to watch, feeling conflicted as Seto shoved Yami away so quickly, Yami lost his balance and fell onto his side. Yami glanced up at Seto, wearing an expression of deep hurt and disappointment.

 _Seto…doesn’t like him back!_ Mokuba realized with a jolt, looking away quickly and splashing the water aimlessly around his body. He would pretend like he hadn’t seen anything.

He glanced down at his swim trunks ballooning around his legs as another wave came swirling around his waist. He racked his brain, trying to recall the term for same-gender love.

Gay.

 _Is Seto…gay?_ Mokuba wondered faintly as he saw a thin shadow pan across his legs. He glanced up and saw his brother standing over him, looking worried.

“Mokuba?” Seto asked tentatively, secretly wondering if his brother had seen Yami kiss him. If he did, then fuck, he had a lot of explaining to do. “What’s wrong? Why are you just sitting there?”

Mokuba lifted his head and smiled brightly at his older brother, pointing at his beach ball bobbing in the distance, “I lost my ball, Seto.” He kicked his legs lightly as another wave bobbed around his waist, and he shivered, struggling to stand.

Seto lifted his younger brother up out of the sand and stood him up, holding him firmly by the shoulders, “Don’t worry about that. Come eat something. We haven’t eaten anything all day.”

“Kay.” Mokuba said quietly, staring at the blanket where Yami was sitting, noticing he looked particularly upset. He felt a rush of sympathy for the foreigner.  
People had always liked Seto, and Seto never reciprocated.

 _Yami isn’t too bad_ , Mokuba mused, feeling the sand stick to his wet feet. _He’s smart and knows how to do stuff._

“Is he okay?” He asked, gripping onto his older brother’s arm tightly as they plodded through the sand back towards the umbrella.

“Who?” Seto replied roughly, not wishing to discuss it further. Mokuba was perceptive; he could see that Yami was upset.

“Yami!” Mokuba cried, ignoring his brother, running forwards and throwing himself down on the blanket. “Are you hungry? I am!”

Disgruntled, Seto eased himself down on the blanket across from them, watching Yami nod and accept a wrapped sandwich from Mokuba, avoiding all eye-contact.

Yami bit into the sandwich, unable to taste anything.  
He was too angry, and too nervous.  
Had Mokuba seen him touch their owner?  
If he did, he seemed to be fine with it.  
On the other hand, their owner had pushed him away, hissing, _“Don’t touch me.”_

 _Which is it?_ Yami thought furiously, grinding the sandwich between his teeth. _Does he want to be touched, or not?_

Mokuba ate quickly, eyeing Seto carefully, watching his older brother stare at Yami while he unwrapped a second sandwich and began eating.

 _Would Seto even like him back? Is he pretty? Like a girl?_ Mokuba wondered, turning his gaze towards Yami, staring at the dark lashes that touched his tanned cheeks.

Yami could feel Mokuba’s gaze on him and he lifted his head to smile at the child, trying to speak with him through his mind.  
Don’t worry, everything is fine. I am not fighting with your Seto.

Mokuba blinked, taken aback by Yami’s sudden smile. He _was_ pretty. His eyes were angular, his features were delicate, and his skin looked like melted chocolate.

Seto could feel his anxiety rising to an all-time high as he watched Mokuba gaze unblinkingly into Yami’s face, looking oddly fascinated.  
No.  
This wasn’t happening.  
Was Mokuba only being incredibly nice to Yami…because…he thought Yami was attractive?!

“What are you looking at, Mokuba?” Seto asked roughly, feeling himself tremble.  
No. There was no fucking way.

“I-...” Mokuba paused mid-chew, looking thoughtful. “I think he’s pretty.”

“Who?” Seto asked, blinking rapidly, wondering what circle of hell he was living in if Mokuba answered his question with Yami’s name.

“Yami.” Mokuba said simply, and Yami lifted his head to smile warmly again. Mokuba grinned and threw his older brother a curious look, feeling worried as he saw the intense distress painted across Seto’s face.

Yami looked between Mokuba and their owner, trying to understand what they were saying. The child had complimented him, calling him pretty…!

 _Is he helping me again?_ Yami wondered faintly, watching their owner look increasingly more stressed. _Perhaps he did see Seto shove me away._

“Do you feel this way…when you look at other guys too?” Seto could feel his throat closing up as he could barely get the words out. Maybe he needed to keep Yami away from Mokuba. This foreigner was upending his life in all the worst ways!

“No, I’m not gay.” Mokuba replied staunchly, stretching his feet out across the blanket contentedly and wiggling his toes in the sun. “But I think _he_ might be...”

“Gay.” Mokuba added carelessly, watching his brother turn an odd shade of pink. The dark glasses hid Seto’s eyes, but Mokuba could tell that Seto was embarrassed.  
  
It suddenly occurred to him that that was probably why Seto pushed Yami away, and the hurt look on Yami’s face was haunting him.

He stood up and brushed the sand off his calves, giving his older brother a stern look, “You should be nice to him, Seto, even if he is gay. Isn’t that what you said? We should be nice to him?”

Seto could feel his chest constricting so much he could barely breathe. His vision was fading and Mokuba’s tone wasn’t helping. How the fuck did Mokuba know what the term ‘gay’ meant? And how the fuck would he know that Yami was gay?!

Mokuba ran off towards the water, feeling pleasantly full. He stood in the waves again, letting the them rush powerfully around his ankles as the they pulled back along the shore. He began to recall the parade of pretty women Seto used to bring into the mansion, each different from the last, and all of them had smiled at him and petted his hair like he was some kind of dog.

Mokuba clenched his fists at his sides, feeling his anger and frustration rising quickly. He would gladly take Yami over those women, any day.

He heard soft, squelching footsteps approach him from behind and he whirled around to see Yami smiling gently at him.

“Let’s dig a hole!” Mokuba cried excitedly, grabbing Yami’s arm and pulling away from the water. He bent down and began scooping fistfuls of sand away from his feet, watching Yami copy him, wiggling his sand-covered fingers happily.

Seto saw Mokuba encourage Yami to dig a hole in the sand, and he watched with great interest. He stood fluidly and approached them, seeing Yami turn to give him an alluring smile.

 _He’s smiling so much today,_ Seto thought hazily, feeling the corners of his mouth turn upwards against his will.

“Seto! Let’s bury you!” Mokuba laughed, pointing at the tiny hole he and Yami had made.

Seto wrinkled his nose and shook his head, “No thanks.”  
They would be digging this hole until sunset if that were the case.

“Yes!” Mokuba insisted, frowning slightly. He turned to Yami and pointed at the hole, wondering if Yami could even understand him, “Let’s bury you then!”

Yami blinked steadily as he realized he could understand some of what Mokuba was saying. _“...bury….”_

“Okay,” Yami said seriously, forgetting to respond in Japanese. The child’s effort to bury him would be amusing.

Mokuba’s frown deepened, but Seto understood instantly, and Yami’s response spurred him into action. He knelt and began scooping handfuls of sand away from Mokuba’s tiny pit, hearing Mokuba whine. “Wait, did he say yes or no?!”

Seto raised his head and grinned at his younger brother, “He said yes, so we better start digging.”

“Awesome.” Mokuba said fiendishly as he began to frantically paw at the sand with his hands.

Yami blinked and felt himself sway on the spot. Wait…wait, this wasn’t fair! Their owner would be digging this hole with Mokuba? Then, he would be buried for sure!!

“Help dig, Yami!” Mokuba cried excitedly, tossing a fistful of sand over his shoulder.

Yami knelt down shakily and obediently began scooping out sand, watching his owner grin devilishly at him. His heart skipped a few beats, and he sat down beside Mokuba, watching with increasing horror as a solid hole began forming before his eyes. The sun beat down heavily across his shoulders and his neck began to burn. 

He casually stripped off his shirt and draped it over his neck, thinking about running into the water once more. The summer weather in this country was humid! He patted his brow, which was lightly beaded with sweat, hearing Mokuba cry out triumphantly. “Done!”

Yami glanced down and saw a sizeable hole, but it didn’t look big enough to fit him completely.

Seto brushed his hands off and watched Yami inspect the hole apprehensively. He noticed Yami had taken off his shirt and hung it over his neck.  
His nipples were so fucking rosy…

Shaking the hair out of his eyes, Seto pointed into the hole and addressed Yami, “Get in.”

Yami hesitated before nodding stiffly. He gingerly stepped into the hole with Mokuba’s cheers ringing in his ears as his heels sank to the bottom, extremely thankful that the edge only came up to his waist.

“Bury!” Mokuba yelled, and suddenly a cascade of sand rushed down towards Yami’s legs.

Yami watched with increasing amusement as his owner and Mokuba piled the sand around his body, patting it tightly around his hips. The shirt was lifted from his neck and Yami opened his mouth to protest, but his voice caught when he saw another handsome smile flash across his owner’s face.

“More, Mokuba. Let’s bury his arms.” Seto said gleefully, sliding more piles of sand closer towards Yami, watching his angular eyes widen steadily.

“YES!” Mokuba shouted, pushing sand towards Yami with his feet, watching Yami look nervous as he squirmed. “I’ll hold his arms!”

Yami bit the inside of his cheek as he began thoroughly regretting everything. Mokuba had pinned his arms at his side while their owner readily threw sand over them.  
He watched with increasing satisfaction as the sand slid away from his arms.  
They were having difficulty burying him completely.

“Wait.” Seto said hastily, rising to his feet and rushing off towards the water. He dipped Yami’s shirt into an oncoming wave and soaked it completely. He strode back towards Yami and wrung the cloth out over the small mounds of sand around Yami’s arms. There.

“Now, we pack it in.” Seto said cleverly, nodding at Mokuba. “Hurry, before he escapes.”

Yami heard the word “escape” fall from his owner’s lips and his anxiety peaked. What?!

He watched as his owner and Mokuba worked together seamlessly, packing the mounds of wet sand over his arms, until suddenly, he realized the only part that was exposed was his chest and shoulders.

“Wait…wait wait…!” Yami cried anxiously, watching his owner grin evilly and pat another wet mound of sand right in front of his chest. He stiffened and winced as the cold dampness stuck to his skin and he heard Mokuba cackle somewhere above him.

“Done.” Seto said triumphantly, standing back to admire their handiwork. Hilarious.  
The only part of Yami that was visible was his spiky head, but the sand was oddly colored from the wet patches around his arms and chest.

Mokuba danced around Yami’s head excitedly, laughing as his sandy heels came dangerously close to Yami’s ear, “Wow! We did it Seto! He’s really buried!!” 

Yami blinked and shook his head, feeling sand fall out of his hair. He wiggled his fingers and watched them appear out of the mound. Ah…this was…a prank of sorts. They weren’t really going to bury him completely!  
His head was still above the surface!

“NO! Don’t move!” Mokuba demanded, rushing forwards and brushing sand over Yami’s exposed fingertips.

Yami bit back a laugh and nodded, watching his owner slide out his phone and snap a photo of him. This time, he didn’t mind. He smiled brightly for the camera as Mokuba sat cross-legged beside his head and laughed delightedly.

“Wait!” Mokuba cried, and Yami heard him run off behind him.

Yami blinked, wiggling his fingers again, watching his fingertips emerge from the mound. His owner knelt down in front of him and playfully tugged on a strand of his hair, grinning. His teeth were very white and very straight.

“…Seto…” Yami began, but felt his chest constrict as his owner’s knuckles brushed against his cheeks.

“Here!” Mokuba’s voice came drifting from behind him and his owner retracted his hand quickly.

Yami watched as Mokuba thunked a bottle of fizzy water in front of him and stuck a straw in through the top, angling it towards his mouth, “Drink this!”

Mokuba stepped back to clap his hands excitedly and snatched the phone out of Seto’s hands, stepping forwards to angle the straw closer to Yami’s mouth again before leaning back to take another photo.

“Cute.” Seto snickered, enjoying Yami’s bewildered expression as he comically sucked the straw for Mokuba’s photos. He watched Yami’s cheeks steadily turn pink and he bit his lip.  
Fuck. Shit. Yami had understood that…!

“Very cute.” Mokuba echoed in agreement, handing him back the phone. “Let’s leave him like this forever!”

Seto let out an amused bark of laughter and shook his head, “We won’t do that. Let’s unbury him. Come on.”

Mokuba let out a groan, but he obliged, quickly digging out one of Yami’s arms and lifting it out by the wrist, feeling oddly nervous as he could feel Yami’s wrist bone poking him in the center of his palm.

“H-He’s really thin…” Mokuba said lamely, feeling a painful pang shoot through his chest. Had Yami been starved?

“He is.” Seto replied so quietly that his voice was carried away by the sound of crashing waves.

Yami glanced between his owner and Mokuba, trying to decipher what they were talking about. His owner looked solemn while diligently extracting his bandaged arm, while Mokuba was on his other side, gently brushing sand off from his other arm.  
  
Blinking back tears, Yami tried to understand what he was feeling.  
Were they pitying him? Why the gentle motions?

“Here next.” Mokuba said plainly, gathering piles of sand towards himself as he scooped them away from Yami’s back.

Seto reached under Yami’s chin and dug his fingers downwards, carefully moving sand away from Yami’s face, watching Yami’s eyes widen and grow wet at the corners. He decided to ignore it, focusing on clearing the sand away from Yami’s chest.

He found himself staring at Yami’s nipples once more and he grit his teeth, trying his best to ignore the pink, perky peaks. His mind wandered sinfully and Seto briefly imagined rolling one of those nipples between his teeth.

 _Stop!_ Seto berated himself furiously, watching Yami struggle upwards slightly and manage to extract himself out of the sandy hole.

Yami stuffed the odd feelings back down his chest as sand cascaded out of his damp shorts. His owner had been staring shamelessly at his chest while he had been dug out.

 _He was probably wishing I had breasts,_ Yami thought furiously, resisting the urge to glare at his owner.

Striding towards the water, Yami waded as deep as he could possibly go, feeling the waves churn thickly around his waist, washing away the residual grains of sand stuck behind his knees and between his toes.

The sun was dipping low in the sky and Yami could feel eyes water dangerously again. The sky was turning a beautiful, bright pink and the water reflected the color perfectly. They would be heading back soon….

Mokuba appeared beside him, happily drinking the fizzy water and grinning broadly.

“That was fun! You…” Mokuba said, speaking quickly and Yami found that he couldn’t understand, so he just nodded, gazing out across the water once more, taking several deep breaths, trying to stamp the scent of the ocean into his being.

“Mokuba…! Yami…!”

Yami heard his owner calling them and he felt Mokuba wrap a chubby hand around his fingers, tugging gently. He allowed Mokuba to lead him back towards the umbrella, watching his owner shake the sand out of the blanket.

Mokuba rushed forwards and grabbed a container of sliced fruits out of the beach bag, shoving it into Yami’s hands. “Here, eat this.”

Seto felt himself smile as he tucked the blanket back into his bag, watching Yami nod and accept the container with both hands.

“Ready? Got everything?” Seto asked lightly, scanning the beach for any articles of clothing they may have left behind.

“Yep.” Mokuba said happily, bending down to pick up his shoes.

Yami followed suit, hooking his fingers through the backs of his shoes which were still soaked.

They trekked through the tiny trail leading back towards the small grove of trees and Yami stared glumly at the white military car. How often would they be taken out like this? There were no bodyguards, but there were also no people around.  
The rich sure had a scary way of living.  
It was no wonder his owner was lonely.

He watched Seto drape a towel over the seats and gestured for them to sit inside.  
  
Yami obliged, suddenly feeling so tired, his bones ached. He sank down into the soft leather seats, watching as Mokuba entered the vehicle from the other side. Yami pulled the door shut beside him and saw their owner climb into the driver’s seat, starting the engine with a low roar.

He held his breath, staring at the trees outside his window which were slowly disappearing as they drove away from the secluded area.

Yami tucked his hands underneath his shorts, feeling the dampness seep into the backs of his hands and he stared at the golden bands around his wrist, reminding himself that everything was fine. They were going back to the large house, but he was now armed with more information than ever.

He had the golden bangles and he was beginning to slowly understand more of what Mokuba was saying.

The car rushed down the freeway and Yami turned his gaze towards his owner’s neck which was peeking out from between the headrest of the car seat. He felt a rough weight fall against his shoulder and he glanced down to see Mokuba leaning on him, fast asleep.

Shifting slightly, Yami made himself comfortable and felt his own eyelids grow heavy. The car was warm and quiet, and his owner was a smooth and attentive driver. Everything always felt…unusually safe.

 _It’s all fake_ , Yami reminded himself, gently patting Mokuba’s head, watching his tiny chest rise and fall as he breathed deeply. _I will keep Mokuba by my side and away from harm, as much as possible._

He shut his eyes and let his head hang forwards as he drifted off into a light slumber.

Seto eased the car back into his garage and shut the engine off, turning around to glance at the backseat, startled when he saw that they were both fast asleep. Mokuba was snoozing gently on Yami’s shoulder, and Yami’s spiky head was hanging forwards heavily.

Sighing, Seto stepped out and opened Mokuba’s door. He gently lifted his brother out of the car and walked into the house, throwing a concerned glance over his shoulder at Yami’s sleeping form.

He stepped through the hallway and up the stairs, neatly tucking Mokuba into the bed before hurrying back down to the garage to wake Yami.

Yami felt like he was floating. He heard something click in the distance and his owner’s overpowering scent washed over him, mixed in with the fresh saltiness of ocean water. He jerked awake, realizing that his owner was carrying him up the staircase and back into his room.

Yami blinked rapidly, trying to clear his mind of grogginess.

Seto set Yami down on his feet and led him towards the bathroom. He pointed into the shower and nodded, indicating the boy should bathe.

To his surprise, Yami lifted his bandaged arm and made a wrapping motion again.

 _Right, he needs a thorough cleanse_. Seto thought as he cursed himself and walked into his room to grab the bottle of rubbing alcohol and a spare roll of plastic.

He strode back into Yami’s room and set the materials on the ground by Yami’s feet, carefully peeling the plastic off his arm. Several grains of sand were stuck to the plastic and Yami winced as his wound touched the open air. It still stung, and his owner carefully wiped his entire arm with the clear liquid before applying the sour ointment to the pink patch of skin at the center of his wrist.

Fresh bandages along with clear plastic were wrapped tightly around his wrist once more and his owner gave him a gentle shove through the bathroom door, closing it behind him with a stern click.

 _Bathing…I am always bathing_ , Yami thought dimly, stripping off the blue shorts and stepping into the shower. He could hear the water running from the other room and Yami listened to the loud echo of the water slapping against the tiles as he rinsed sand out of his hair.

He stepped out and wrapped a towel around himself, hearing his gold bands clinking down along his arm.

Yami heard the water shut off in Seto’s room and he tiptoed towards the connecting door, peeking inside, eyeing the dark screen hanging before the foot of the bed.

 _I want to watch the TV,_ Yami thought devilishly, and he threw his towel aside to race towards the bed, making himself comfortable underneath the sheets.

Seto emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam and he stepped over towards his closet. He heard rustling behind him and he almost dropped his towel in surprise.  
Holy fucking shit.  
Yami was sitting in his bed, shamelessly naked, smiling warmly at him.

He blinked and pointed at the connecting door, feeling his towel slip dangerously low across his waist. “Go back into your room.”

Yami blinked and understood half of what his owner was saying. _“…Go back…”_

He shook his head and pointed at the TV screen, patting the spot on the bed beside him.

 _Sit here while I watch the show with stitched puppets! I won’t bother you_. Yami thought cleverly, tucking the covers firmly around his waist. His owner enjoyed staring at his chest, well, then he would show him his chest.

Seto furiously bit his tongue so hard, he felt his eyes water.  
God… _why?!_  
Was this a test?  
Because he was going to fail miserably.  
Was Yami wearing underwear?  
Or was he butt-ass naked in the bed?!

He inched towards the bed and slid beneath the sheets, tossing his towel at the foot of the bed, realizing Yami’s towel was also sitting there. Well…fuck.

Yami pointed at the TV excitedly again and Seto nodded, grabbing his phone off from the nightstand and tapping against the screen. He could feel Yami’s eyes watching him intently as the TV flickered on in front of them and Yami’s face lit up.

Seto inched deeper beneath the sheets, enjoying Yami’s elated expression as his dark violet eyes fixed on the screen. He lowered his gaze down across the gentle curves of Yami’s slender neck, enjoying the way his collarbones jutted out sharply before dipping down into the gentle, flat plane of his chest, where his small, rosy nipples sat...just asking to be licked and sucked.

Seto swallowed tensely and jerked his head away, forcing himself to do nothing as an achingly familiar heat began to creep across his cheeks, and he could feel himself growing aroused.

 _He’s male._ Seto chanted furiously to himself, watching the hand-sewn puppets bob across the TV screen, flying a kite.

Yami gripped the edge of the comforter, feeling his body heating up uncontrollably. His owner was staring at him again, and those blue eyes were setting his skin on fire.

Maybe…there was something he could say, to thank Seto for taking them out to see the ocean today.

Yami steeled himself to look his owner in the eye as he rehearsed a few Japanese phrases repeatedly in his mind.

Seto blinked, taken aback by the sudden attention. “What?” He asked hastily, shifting uncomfortably. He could feel his boner jutting stiffly upwards and he shoved the covers thickly around his waist, hoping Yami wouldn’t notice.

“Thank you.” Yami said fluidly, nodding, watching his owner’s eyes widen. “And…” there was also something else he wanted to say….

“And?” Seto prompted, feeling his stomach twist with arousal. He needed to take care of himself in the bathroom.

“I like you.” Yami stated simply, looking satisfied.

Seto felt the room spin and he sat up straighter, his ears ringing loudly.  
Wh-What?!  
Was this foreigner _confessing_ to him?  
Or was Yami only saying that to ensure his safety in the house?!

Yami turned his attention back to the screen, feeling much better. He felt like he had gotten a weight off his shoulders. His owner would now know that he no longer hated him.

 _“Thank you for the food!”_ The red puppet cried, clapping her hands together in a strange prayer motion and bobbing her head down at her mother and father.

 _“Eat quickly! The……”_ Said the mother puppet, sliding a colorful felt fish across the bright orange dining table. _“Today, your friends…”_

 _I really do like him,_ Yami thought adamantly, watching the stitched puppets eat merrily _. Even though he shows more bias towards Mokuba at times, he spends the evenings with me…._

He casually threw his owner a glance, seeing shock painted across his handsome features.

 _Is it that surprising?_ Yami smiled and went back to watching the show.

 _“Hey, Red…”_ The mother puppet spoke, pointing at the telephone hanging on their kitchen wall. _“There was a…from Blue.”_

 _“A call? From Blue?”_ The red puppet perked up and clapped excitedly.

 _There was a call,_ Yami recited the Japanese phrase in his mind repeatedly _._  
  
He was secretly thankful that this show was incredibly helpful and easy to understand.  
Would his owner know that this was helping him learn the language faster than ever?  
  
The nameless boy was right.  
Screens held more value than books, at least in terms of surviving a conversation, especially with a stranger.

Knowing how to write _“help me,”_ was useless as opposed to shouting, _“help me!”_  
The difference mattered.

 _I’ll be in this room as often as I can._ Yami resolved as the bright puppets burned into his vision. _Even if it means laying next to my owner every night, I will do it._

Seto was controlling his breathing very carefully, forcing himself to remain still as his mind was flooded with images of Yami writhing sensually beneath him.  
  
_“…I like you.”_  
  
Was that…consent? A confession of love?

“I like you too.” Seto responded shakily, wondering what the hell he was saying.

Yami turned to give him a warm smile and Seto felt his entire body tingle pleasantly. He daringly inched closer towards Yami and placed a hand on his knee, feeling Yami’s leg tense underneath the sheets.  
  
Seto quickly withdrew his hand and felt his cheeks burn. Damn…nevermind.

Yami felt his head spin as his owner’s voice echoed pleasantly in his ears.  
  
_“I like you too…”_

 _At least, I think that’s what he said,_ Yami thought hazily, watching his owner reach out to touch his leg and retract his hand just as quickly. _You can touch me…I am fine with it._

He reached out and grabbed his owner’s slender wrist, pulling his arm closer and placing it gently on his knee.

 _There,_ Yami thought happily, trailing his gaze up his owner’s arm and down across his muscular chest. He spotted an odd lump underneath the covers and he stared at it, wondering why his owner had his arm resting over it so awkwardly.

Seto bit the inside of his cheek painfully as he tried not to react to Yami staring at his boner poking upwards against the sheets. He swallowed thickly, watching Yami reach out a hand to tentatively pat his arm in a reassuring manner.

Yami frowned slightly, thinking his owner was behaving strangely.  
He trailed his hand down Seto’s arm until palm rested on the small mound and froze, realizing that he was touching his owner’s arousal through the sheets.

 _Ah, his dick is hard._ Yami balked privately as he withdrew his hand and felt a strange heat coil inside his chest, settling deep at the base of his stomach.

The TV sounded so far away as Yami lowered his gaze back down to his own hands, his face burning strangely.

 _He likes me…and he’s aroused,_ Yami thought hazily, moving his legs out from underneath the sheets, feeling as if he was floating on a strange cloud. His head was light, but his body felt heavy.  
If his owner was aroused, then…he was asking to be touched!

Seto blinked rapidly, his panic rising as he watched Yami slowly extract himself from beneath the sheets to sit firmly on his legs, fully naked. He couldn’t help but think he was going to hell for staring at Yami’s slender outline, his gaze once again landing on Yami’s rosy nipples. He also couldn’t help but notice Yami’s penis was flaccid, and he tensed, wondering if he should push him off.

His mouth went dry as Yami bravely gripped the edge of the sheets and yanked them down across his body, exposing his erection.

Seto shivered at the sudden change in temperature as his dick touched the air, and he could feel his wetness drying slightly across the tip.  
Maybe…if he just laid still and did nothing, Yami would lose interest and go back into the other room….

Yami blinked and stared down at his owner’s body, marveling at how sculpted he was.  
Earlier at the oceanside, he had wanted to touch his owner’s chest some more, and now, he could!

 _He looks so masculine!_ Yami thought nervously, watching his owner lay obediently beneath him with his shaft jutting out visibly from his body as his chest rose and fell gently.  
  
Yami reached out and hesitantly trailed the pads of his fingers down his owner’s chest, tracing out each section of muscle, his heart leaping into his throat as his stomach fluttered with nervousness.

Seto mirrored Yami’s actions, carefully raising his hand to rest along Yami’s arm, sliding his palm against his heated skin.

He could feel his nervousness rising as Yami continued to stare at him, raking his eyes shamelessly up and down his chest and abdomen.  
Was he done staring?

Yami narrowed his eyes as his hands travelled lower, right to the base of his owner’s shaft. He pressed a finger into the tip of his owner’s slit, feeling Seto shudder beneath him and tense his legs powerfully. Intrigued, Yami’s heart began to race excitedly as he wrapped his hand firmly around his owner’s dick, giving it a tentative squeeze.  
  
He released his owner’s arousal and flattened his palm against Seto’s muscular abdomen, his entire body burning as he could feel his owner watching his every move.

 _I don’t know what I’m doing_ , Yami thought moodily, wondering what else he could do that would make his owner feel good. Use his mouth…again, perhaps? Maybe his owner would grow frustrated and just show him what else to do.  
That would make things a lot easier.

Seto felt his head spin and his body pulsed with a strange electricity. Yami was sitting on his legs, with concentration etched across his delicate features, and it was making him nervous as hell. He laid his hand on Yami’s leg and gave him a reassuring squeeze. Yami lifted his head and gazed unblinkingly into his eyes, and Seto’s chest tightened painfully.

Seto leaned forwards and carefully pressed his lips against the bridge of Yami’s nose, lightly inhaling his scent.

Yami shivered with anticipation and push forwards instinctively, feeling his owner cup his face and run his hands down past his shoulders and rest just above his elbows. He squirmed, wishing his owner would slide his hands all the way down his arms instead of pausing in the middle. Yami jutted forwards insistently, his head swimming and his ears buzzing strangely, feeling Seto slip his thumbs into his inner arms and rub the skin in small circles.  
  
It caused a burning sensation to run all the way down his body and Yami eased forwards into his owner’s touch as a hot breath panned down across his cheek.  
Could they kiss? Kissing was a nice feeling coupled with this kind of touching!

Seto bit his tongue and held his breath, trying to contain himself as Yami rocked forwards eagerly and parted his lips.  
Maybe…a kiss…maybe just one.  
He captured Yami’s lips and sucked lightly on his lower lip, eliciting a soft sigh, and this spurred him on, encouraging him to kiss Yami deeper, to slip his tongue between the soft pillows of Yami’s lips.  
  
Slender arms tightened around his neck and Seto lost his reserve, sliding his hands down across Yami’s smooth chest, thoroughly enjoying the way his nipples perked up beneath his palms. Yes, oh god yes.

He had wanted to touch Yami’s nipples all damn day.

He gave each one a playful pinch, and Yami gasped, arching heavily into the kiss. Seto smirked and pulled Yami flush against his body, wrapping one hand around Yami’s waist, continuing to tease the soft pointed tips with the pads of his fingers, feeling Yami tremble deliciously against him.

Yami shut his eyes and melted into his owner’s touch, quivering. Every time his owner’s hands flitted over his skin, everything tingled and burned.

Seto palmed Yami’s nipples again, kneading softly, feeling his body shutting off and going into autopilot as his arousal engulfed him. God…this needed to stop, but it was becoming more and more difficult by the second.

He felt Yami gasp and shiver against him again and Seto couldn’t take it anymore. He pressed Yami against his body once more, shuddering pleasurably as he felt Yami’s nipple brush across the center of his chest and he shifted Yami’s weight above him.

Yami wasn’t sure what was happening. Somehow, he was pressed so tightly up against his owner’s body, he could barely breathe. He felt cold hands flattening against his back, repeatedly pushing him tighter, closer, so much that every time his owner squeezed him, a bit of air escaped his lungs and made his head spin.

 _He’s just…embracing me._ Yami thought hazily, letting out another soft huff as his owner hugged him tightly again. _Is this enjoyable for him?_

He could feel Seto’s boner pressing into his stomach and it was strangely arousing.

 _I want to touch it,_ Yami decided, squirming. Suddenly, his owner wrapped powerful arms around his waist and eased him up on his knees, causing his weight to sink into either side of his owner’s hips.

Blinking rapidly in confusion, Yami placed his hands on Seto’s shoulders, swaying slightly.

Seto took this chance to reach between Yami’s thighs and grab his own erection, giving himself a few slow, long pumps, shutting his eyes and leaning his head back into the pillows, letting out a tight sigh of relief.

Yami bit back a cry of surprise as his owner’s hand shot between his legs and disappeared underneath him. He felt a strange jerking movement behind him and he froze, realizing with trickling astonishment that his owner was shamelessly touching himself; the rough movement of Seto’s hands along his shaft was causing the bed to dip slightly with each upward movement.  
  
Seto grit his teeth and felt his head rush powerfully as Yami shifted above him once more.  
This was fine.  
He could cum like this, with Yami straddling him, and he could let his mind wander as sinfully as he pleased. He gave himself a few more slow pumps, envisioning Yami carefully lowering himself down onto his dick, and he spasmed pleasurably, his thumb accidently brushing over Yami’s ass crack as he continued to move his hand up and down along his arousal.

 _W-What about me?_ Yami thought angrily, tensing as he his owner’s arm was raising dangerously high between his legs, almost shoving upwards into his balls. _He’s ignoring me! I’m right here, sitting on top of him, and he’s ignoring me!_

He bucked his hips forwards impatiently, purposely hitting the tip of his dick against his owner’s chest, staring down at Seto’s face, trying to ignore how handsome he looked with his head thrown back while his eyes were blissfully closed.

“Seto.” Yami said firmly, reaching down to point at his own erection, growing extremely irritated as his owner continued to ignore him, his arm moving thoroughly up and down between his legs. Annoyed, Yami squeezed his thighs together and dug his knees into his owner’s side, feeling him tense and let out a soft grunt.

Seto felt Yami straddle him tighter and he almost came as Yami said his name, imagining Yami’s legs locking around his back as he thrust continuously into his tight hole, between his soft, perky ass cheeks. Gripping himself tighter, Seto leaned forwards to press his lips against Yami’s collarbone, feeling Yami tug his hair impatiently and thrust his hips forwards, poking him in the chest with his leaking erection.

Seto shivered and opened his mouth to bite down against Yami’s shoulder, flicking his tongue out to taste his skin, enjoying the sharp gasp he earned. He stroked himself faster, curling himself forwards around Yami’s body, thinking he was being despicably selfish by only taking care of himself, but he couldn’t help it.  
  
He had been holding back so much that if he touched Yami at all, they might actually fuck.

“Seto!” Yami cried, tightening his grip around his owner’s neck, thoroughly bothered by the fact that Seto was just hugging him while touching himself. His dick throbbed and Yami squirmed, feeling his owner shudder powerfully against him, and a hot, thick liquid spill across his lower back, sliding thickly down his crack and across his hole.

Gasping in horror, Yami froze and felt the warm fluid slowly drip down past his hole and pool at the base of his balls. He sat down heavily, plopping right onto his owner’s stomach, wincing as he heard a strange slapping sound, feeling the wetness spreading between his thighs. He stared at his owner who was laying in front of him, his hair matted handsomely across his forehead, his chest heaving mightily.

 _Did you enjoy that?_ Yami thought viciously, feeling his dick throb as he felt strangely neglected. This man was…so…selfish!

Seto slowly released his dick, feeling his body tingle pleasantly with light aftershocks of residual pleasure, catching a hateful glare from Yami sitting on top of him. His arm was going numb from Yami’s weight on it.

He blinked, staring straight into the boy’s unwavering gaze. “You said you wanted to remain clean, so this is how it’s going to be.”

Yami frowned deeply, hearing the odd sounds dropping quickly from his owner’s mouth. He couldn’t understand a word, so he shoved himself forwards, roughly kissing Seto on the mouth, baring his teeth and biting down on any flesh he could reach, hearing his owner hiss and react earnestly, sitting up higher and slipping his tongue thickly into his mouth with equal enthusiasm.

 _My turn…my fucking turn!_ Yami growled internally, reaching down to grip his own dick, feeling his owner shift the arm between his legs to wedge tightly underneath his balls. He felt a dull thud of pain and Yami leaned away from the kiss, his lips swelling at the sudden loss of contact.

“You forgot about me.” Yami said darkly, knowing fully that Seto couldn’t understand him. He rolled his hips forwards, seeing his owner flush and stare down at his slender erection. “My turn, you selfish man!”

Seto blinked rapidly, trying to decipher what Yami was saying. His tone was insistent and commanding.

It was obvious…he wanted to be touched, right?

He reached down with his clean hand and grabbed Yami’s erection firmly, feeling Yami shudder and sigh, rolling uncomfortably atop his arm which was still wedged tightly between his legs.

“Up.” Seto said hastily, patting Yami’s hip and watching him hover on his knees shakily. He extracted his semen covered arm and flexed his fingers, feeling them tingle numbly.

“U-Use your mouth.” Yami said wretchedly, prying his owner’s slender fingers off from his dick.

Seto frowned and tried to close his hand around Yami erection again, watching him push his hand away and say something in Arabic.

No? He didn’t want to be touched?  
Fine.

Seto moved to shove Yami off but Yami tightened his knees around Seto’s waist, flashing him another glare, pointing to his own mouth and then back down at his erection.

Oh.  
Seto paused, suddenly feeling very lightheaded.  
This brat…was asking for another blow job!

He shook his head and attempted to glare back, reaching out to grab Yami’s dick again, only to be met with a harsh slap across the back of his hand as Yami’s legs tightened around his waist once more.

 _Really now!_ Seto seethed, _Fine! I’d like to see you try and shove your dick in my mouth!_

Yami inched closer up along his owner’s muscular frame, enjoying the way the taut muscles felt between his thighs. He was properly excited now. Just the thought of the tight, wet feeling of Seto’s mouth surrounding him completely was enough to make his head rush with arousal.

Seto leaned back into the pillows and crossed his arms, amused, feeling his sticky hand smear slightly across his chest as he did so. He ignored it, deciding that watching Yami struggle naked above him was worth it.

“Please? Use your mouth?” Yami asked lamely, bucking his hips forwards weakly, growing increasingly frustrated as his owner smiled evilly at him and tapped his lips playfully. What? A kiss?

He leaned forwards to kiss his owner, watching Seto jerk his away and shake his head, pointing down at his erection and up to his mouth as if to say: you, put it in, here.

 _How?!_ Yami bristled, giving his dick a miserable twitch, pressing himself forwards so much, his tip rubbed wetly across his owner’s chest. He felt Seto shiver beneath him and took this as a positive sign.

 _Fine. I will climb you_. Yami resolved, pushing down on his owner’s shoulders and raising himself higher up on his knees, feeling his owner slide obediently down lower beneath him.

 _Ah…he wants me to push him down,_ Yami realized gleefully, applying more pressure to his owner’s shoulders, his chest swirling with a strange pride as his owner laid flat beneath him, blinking in amusement.

 _It’s funny to you?_ Yami thought devilishly, easing himself up to sit right on his owner’s chest, hearing a soft _oof!_ escape his owner’s lips. _I can reach your mouth this way…! I will sit on your face!_

Yami hovered uncertainly above his owner, feeling his body heat up as Seto’s eyes never left his crotch.

 _Is this correct?_ Yami wondered faintly, as he moved to straddle Seto’s face, his knees trembling as they threatened to give out beneath him.

Meanwhile, Seto was enjoying himself immensely. The view was great. Yami’s balls were draping right above his nose as his breaths grew heavier and more audible.

 _Wrong angle,_ Seto thought fiendishly, resisting the urge to uncross his arms to grope the ass cheeks which were sitting plumply on his chest. He stuck his tongue out and pressed it right between the curve of Yami’s balls, inhaling deeply, and he heard Yami let out a surprised laugh.  
Holy fucking shit, they felt so soft on his face….!

Yami shivered as a warm thread of heat coursed through his body when Seto licked right in the center of his balls. Glancing down, he gently eased himself lower along his owner’s face, catching another gleeful smirk.

Irritated, Yami raised himself up on his knees again.  
This position was wrong. He was too far away.  
His dick needed to be angled towards Seto’s mouth.

Inching down lower, Yami reached a hand down and felt the tip of his dick press lightly into Seto’s nose, tentatively shifting himself, feeling his owner’s hair brushing softly between his thighs. Ah…there!

 _Correct,_ Seto smirked and held his breath as Yami’s clumsy hand came snaking its way down across his face, clearly trying to angle his dick into his mouth. _Wrong._

Letting out a huff of irritation, Yami lost his patience.  
He wasn’t going to be gentle anymore; his owner was making fun of him, laughing even. He could feel Seto’s chest shaking with repressed laughter beneath him.

 _Curse you_ , Yami growled, dropping down onto his palms, his thighs trembled as he felt a hot breath caressing his inner thigh, and he shivered happily, realizing he had more control than he had originally thought.

 _He likes this_ , Yami thought blandly, tucking his chin down to stare at his owner’s head which was wedged firmly between his legs. 

Seto tensed excitedly as he felt Yami buck his hips roughly and drag the tip of his penis across his cheek, leaving a damp streak. He carefully parted his lips, expecting Yami to miss his mouth, but to his great surprise, Yami slid into his mouth easily, almost too easily, nearly choking him as he went in all the way to the hilt.

Yami gasped as a hot, tight sensation engulfed him and he felt his owner’s nose pressing into the base of his stomach as he shifted his knees once more. Hands came up and groped his ass, sliding sensually down the back of his thighs as a slick tongue swirled thickly around the head of his penis, causing him to shudder and curl forwards, spasming with pleasure.

Seto could feel Yami easing back out of his mouth and he dug his nails into the backs of Yami’s thighs, pressing him forwards and harder into his face, forcing him to lean his weight down further on top of him, causing Yami’s shaft to graze erotically along the roof of his mouth as it hit the back of his throat. He let his breath out in a quick huff, enjoying the thick scent of Yami’s musk flooding his senses.  
He could feel Yami’s legs trembling on either side of his head and he gave Yami’s ass a light pat. It’s fine. Continue.

Yami shivered happily as his head swam, and he thrust roughly into his owner’s mouth, the firm kneading and squeezing from his owner’s hands on his ass were warm and encouraging.  
More? More.

Again, he raised himself up on his knees, feeling himself slide fully out of his owner’s mouth and he shoved himself downwards again, feeling his dick slide past Seto’s teeth. A thick tongue lewdly rubbed along the base of his shaft, sending more heated shocks of pleasure running through his entire body.  
And again, he slid out hastily and pushed deeply into the wet denseness, hearing his owner huff and tense beneath him as nails came digging into the backs of his thighs.  
  
Again.  
His owner wanted him to do that again.  
  
Long, slender fingers tapped rhythmically up along his leg.  
And faster.  
  
Yami drew in a deep shuddering gasp and tightened his thighs around Seto’s head, shutting his eyes and repeatedly ramming himself into his owner’s waiting mouth, unable to think or breathe properly as his body was assaulted with new sensations every time he shoved himself deeper into Seto’s mouth.

Sometimes, his owner would suck him powerfully as he entered, other times, his mouth would widen and then suddenly tighten around his tip as he was pulling out, and other times, teeth would graze erotically along the bottom edge of his dick.  
  
Seto held his breath as Yami picked up his pace. He was thoroughly enjoying the way Yami was carelessly thrusting into his mouth, clearly unsure of himself, but also clearly enjoying it equally as much, if not more.  
  
He felt Yami wobble slightly as the tip of his dick angled upwards and began rubbing fervidly along the ridges behind his teeth. There was one last forceful thrust into his mouth, before Seto felt Yami cum in a shuddering heave, gasping audibly as his legs tightened around his head almost painfully while thick, sweet semen gushed into his mouth, sliding slowly down this throat, choking him.

 _Fuck!_ Seto gasped for breath, but realized he was firmly trapped, with Yami’s ass sitting pertinently on his chest with his balls pressed tightly up against his chin, his slender dick still shoved in his mouth as semen dribbled down the side of his face, running down his neck and pooling onto the mattress beside his hair.  
  
Shit! In addition to being smothered to death by Yami’s testicles, there was now semen in his hair.  
  
His lungs were bursting for air as Yami showed no signs of wanting to move off his face.

Seto jerked upwards forcefully, attempting to sit up, causing Yami to cry out and lose his balance, falling to his side with a soft _thud!_ onto the mattress.  
  
The spiky-haired foreigner gazed up at him with a dazed expression, looking as if he was about to faint.

“No! Don’t you fucking do that again!” Seto hissed viciously, remembering the time he had to clean Yami up when he had passed out after cumming. He reached forwards to grab Yami by the arm, watching his angular eyes widen considerably with fear.

Yami blinked, terror and bile rising up so quickly in his chest, it burned his throat, causing his eyes to water. Did his owner…not like that? B-But…it had felt so good…!

His head spun violently and Yami could feel a headache coming on. His owner released him and he thunked his head down on the mattress, feeling hot tears curling down his cheeks.  
He felt awful, and strangely nauseous.

He watched his owner ease off the bed and walk into the bathroom.  
The door shut with an echoing click and Yami found that he couldn’t move, so he just laid there atop the comforter, feeling the fluids drying across his body.  
  
There was no winning.

Did his owner let him do that on purpose? If he did like it, why was he scolded afterwards? And his owner had looked _so_ angry…!

 _I spoke too soon_ , Yami thought miserably, curling his knees up to his chest and shivering from the cold. _I hate him._

* * *

**Author’s note:**

Thank you for tuning in for another chapter of this story!!

Huge huge thanks to **Animaniac1017** for staying up till 4AM editing this piece. Your dedication amazes me. (HUGS)

Leave a review, let me know if you liked it!!

Xoxo  
  
Ugli


	15. a monster like me?

Yami repressed a tight sob as he hugged his knees to his chest, feeling strangely hollow inside as he listened to the sounds of water running in the bathroom as his owner bathed.

The fluids had dried completely and everything felt clammy and sticky, especially the place between his legs and the area beneath his hole.

On some level, he knew it was partially his fault for participating. He had willingly touched his owner’s arousal through the sheets and climbed on top of his legs.

 _If I had wanted to stop, would he have let me?_ Yami wondered dimly, bringing his hands up his face as his body heaved in another dry sob.  
It was definitely not safe on this bed.  
Safe on this bed was indeed a lie.

 _I hate myself,_ Yami thought darkly, curling up tighter and locking his hands in front of his shins.

The sound of the water echoed heavily around the room, and Yami heard a soft knock at the door.  
  
Fear shot through his core like a searing hot knife and Yami froze, his heart thundering in his ears as his eyes burned with tears. Mokuba?!

It didn’t matter. It was only a matter of time before he would be seen touching their owner.

Isono pushed the door open cautiously, wondering if Mr. Kaiba was in pain. He had heard odd gasping traveling down the hallway as he was making his nightly rounds.

“Master Kaiba?” Isono peeked into the room and felt his heart stop in his chest as his gaze landed on the foreigner, laying naked and curled up atop the covers, his thin shoulders shaking with sobs.

What was this?!

He shut the door quickly behind him and glanced frantically around the room, hearing the water running in the bathroom. He spied the patches of fluids staining Kaiba’s side of the bed and his blood ran cold.  
He was unable to tear his eyes away from the slender form of the foreign boy who was now hiccupping and sobbing outwardly.

Yami trembled with humiliation as he realized it was the manservant.  
Even worse! At least Mokuba would be understanding…!  
  
He pressed his hands to his face, trying to shrink into himself, wishing he could disappear, wishing the world would disappear.

He finally understood what the nameless boy had meant when he had said, ‘death was preferable.’

Death _was_ preferable to being discovered like this.

Isono felt himself tremble and he edged towards the bed, his mind racing with fear and dread.  
  
W-Was this the aftermath of an assault?!  
Had Master Kaiba…assaulted the foreigner?!

“Ah…Yami.” Isono straightened up stiffly, hearing his own voice shake terribly as he spied the sheen of dried semen panning across the foreigner’s left buttock.

Yami heard the servant speak his name, and his chest constricted painfully.  
Of course the manservant knew his name. He was stupid to think otherwise.  
  
He heard footsteps padding away and he gasped deeply into his hands, repressing another violent sob, feeling his throat burn from his effort to keep from crying out.

Suddenly, a warm blanket was draped over his shoulders and he felt himself being lifted easily.

Yami went limp, deciding it was useless to struggle.  
The manservant was stronger than he looked.

Isono frowned worriedly, easing the foreigner onto the bed in the guest room. He was amazed at how light the boy was. Clearly, he hadn’t been eating enough.

Sighing tightly, Isono walked into the bathroom and switched the water on, leaning down to plug the tub slowly, watching his hands shake.

Was Mr. Kaiba acting out? What had prompted him to assault the foreigner?  
  
He had always assumed it was the other way around.  
  
_“Tell him to stop touching me!”_  
The image of Yami standing before him while glaring angrily drifted across his mind, and Isono palmed his face heavily.  
  
The foreigner had spoken that phrase fluently, almost as if he had been practicing it.  
 He _had_ to have practiced it and learned it from the materials given to him.

Isono shivered as he recalled the only other times he had heard Yami speak.

Once when the boy was addressing him directly, asking for Miss Ao, and the other time, it was for food.

 _If that is one of the first things he learned how to say, then he_ is _being assaulted by Master Kaiba._ Isono shuddered fearfully and shut the water off, dipping his hand in briefly to check the temperature _. Young Mokuba must never find out._

He strode back into the room, feeling his body grow heavier as he saw the boy remain an unmoving lump on the bed.

“The bath is ready for you.” Isono mumbled gently, patting where he thought the boy’s shoulder was, watching the boy shrink away from his touch.  
  
Yami grit his teeth as his body was racked with another dry sob. He had understood what the servant had said, as he had learned this phrase recently.  
_“The bath is ready for you…”_

“Come on.” Isono said, raising his voice sternly. He knew the foreigner could understand him on some level, and he wasn’t about to have Mokuba walk into the room to witness…any of this. The young master was known to enter Kaiba’s bedroom in the middle of the night.

Yami took a deep breath and tried to compose himself, slowly sitting upright, feeling the blanket fall around his elbows, realizing it was a bath towel.

He raised his bandaged arm halfheartedly and made a wrapping motion, feeling his stomach churn unpleasantly. Would the servant understand?

 _Ah, the wound._ Isono nodded and circled the bed, picking up the roll of plastic wrap sitting on the opposite nightstand. He tore off a sheet and hurriedly passed it to the boy, watching him glumly stick the plastic around his arm, his cheeks were puffy and streaked with tears.

Swallowing nervously, Isono gestured towards the bathroom and saw the boy’s eyes widen fearfully as the sounds of the water shut off in Kaiba’s bathroom.

“Hurry inside before he comes out.” Isono urged, pointing at the bathroom door, watching the boy slide off the edge of the bed with trembling legs and stumble towards it.

Yami wobbled towards the bathroom, seeing the manservant rush through the connecting door and shut it with a soft click. There was a second click, and Yami realized the servant had locked it.

 _Why is he helping me?_ Yami wondered dimly, seeing a full tub of water waiting for him in the bathroom. He carefully stepped into the water, feeling it sting his calves as he eased down into it.

He gazed up at the glass ceiling, seeing a few stars twinkling above him as he immediately remembered his first bath in his house. He had been sedated, and his owner had gently scrubbed him from head to toe….

 _But he doesn’t actually like me!_ Yami thought angrily, grabbing a nearby sponge off its hook and scrubbing his legs viciously. _I am a toy! Why do I keep thinking otherwise?!_

 _Because he’s kind,_ a small voice in the back of his head whispered, and Yami shook his head, furious with himself.

No.  
  
No kind person would purchase another human being.

Holding his breath, Yami sank beneath the water, allowing the hot water to engulf him, filling his nose and stinging his eyes. He stayed that way for a long time, hearing his own blood rushing loudly in his ears, feeling his arms floating upwards, wondering if he continued holding his breath, would he drown?

No.

Drowning was a painful way to die. There must be other ways…better ways.

Yami resurfaced, gasping for air.  
  
He plopped the sponge along the edge of the bath, suddenly remembering the knives in the kitchen drawers. He could use those instead.

He heaved himself out of the bath and grabbed the neatly folded towel off the marble counter, hearing heated voices echoing through the walls which were coming from his owner’s room.

Yami stood very still and sharpened his ears. It sounded as if the manservant and his owner were arguing.

He pressed his ear against the wall, knowing he couldn’t understand anything being said.

“Master Kaiba, what happened to you?” Isono asked in a hushed whisper, watching Kaiba hastily get dressed, clearly avoiding eye contact. This was strange behavior indeed!

“You can tell me!” Isono urged, feeling his anxiety increase as Kaiba continued to ignore him. “Did something happen between you and the foreigner?”

Kaiba set his jaw and draped his damp towel around his neck, growing increasingly more irritated. He had spent the entire time in the shower regretting his actions, and having Isono press him for answers was not helping.

“I’m not proud of it,” Kaiba responded arrogantly, crossing his arms and turning his gaze towards his desk.

“You should be ashamed of yourself, Master Kaiba!” Isono said angrily, knowing he was overstepping his bounds. “You can’t just commit assault if he doesn’t understand you! You ought to properly apologize…and stay away from him! What happens if authorities spoke with him? You will be accused of--”

“Shut up! Shut…the fuck up!” Kaiba whirled around in a contained rage, his hands falling to his sides in tight fists. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about! Assault?! How dare you accuse me of assaulting him when he is the one jumping into my bed!”

“Th-Then the door must be locked at all times!” Isono cried, knowing they were going to wake Mokuba with their loud arguing. “Or send him away! We must come to an agreement, Master Kaiba. I refuse to allow this to continue! I do not support this situation, or your actions in dealing with him!”

Yami leaned away from the wall of the bathroom and hurried out into his room to get dressed. It sounded like they would be busy yelling at each other, so the time to grab the knife was either now or never.

He stepped into a pair of new clothes, feeling himself tremble all over as he dashed towards his door, praying it was unlocked.

Yami pushed the handle down and to his great relief, the door opened, and he dashed down the staircase, seeing Mokuba’s door beginning to crack open slightly. He padded through the dark living space, feeling along the wall before coming to a stop at the kitchen.

Flipping the lights on hastily, Yami methodically counted the drawers, pulling open the one where he remembered seeing the knives.

The drawer slid open quietly and Yami felt his breath catch in his throat as he gazed down at the neat array of knives, organized from the smallest to the largest size, some with curved edges, others with large, flat mirrored surfaces.  
Which one?!  
Any one would do.

Yami grabbed the smallest one; a fruit knife with a smooth edge, and he eased the drawer shut before tiptoeing back up the staircase. He noticed Mokuba’s door was wide open as he walked past, and he tucked the knife behind his back, seeing Mokuba’s shadow hovering by their owner’s door. The child was kneeling by the doorknob, clearly eavesdropping.

Quietly entering his own room, Yami sat down carefully at his desk and set the knife down in front of him, wondering if he could really go through with hurting himself.

There were too many things to consider, such as, where would he put himself so he wouldn’t be found in time and revived?  
If his owner caught him trying to take his own life, what sort of punishment would follow?

 _He would rape me for sure, just to teach me a lesson._ Yami shuddered as he felt his body grow cold.

 The thin blade gleamed back at him in the semi-darkness and Yami reached into his desk, wondering if he ought to leave a note.  
  
Perhaps he should…but for whom?  
The servant?  
No, the servant hated him.  
The only person he could think of explaining his actions to, was Mokuba.

 _That poor child,_ Yami thought angrily as a fresh rush of hatred for his owner consumed him. _He probably doesn’t know that there is a life outside of being attached to an owner._

Siding out a piece of paper, Yami reached for a pen and set it on the desk. He stared at the knife and the pen for a long time, with the sounds of the servant and his owner’s voice ringing in his ears.

“Then what do you suggest I do?” Kaiba snapped, glaring at Isono who was sweating slightly, looking extremely distressed. “Tell me, old man, since you’ve got so many _golden_ ideas.”

“I-I say we send him to the proper authorities. Maybe then…he will receive proper help and care…!” Isono whispered, wringing his handkerchief in his hands.

“Bad idea. Next.” Kaiba said coldly, seeing his door waver slightly.  
Mokuba was listening.

“You have lawyers who can help! You won’t be blamed for housing an illegal!” Isono said frantically, “A-Apologize to the foreigner for the assault—”

“For the last fucking time, I didn’t…” Kaiba lowered his voice into a vengeful whisper, _“…assault him!_ ” And then he raised his voice to shout at his brother, “Mokuba! Go back to your fucking room!”

Yami jumped as he heard his owner shout Mokuba’s name and the soft pattering of footsteps rushed past his door.

 _I must hurry!_ Yami thought nervously, picking up the pen and tapping it along the paper which was as blank as his thoughts. _What do I even say?!_

“Get the fuck out of my room.” Kaiba hissed, pointing at the door, watching his manservant waver uncertainly in front of him. “Go!”

Isono turned away without bowing and made sure to shut the door firmly behind him. Taking several deep breaths to calm his racing heart, he gazed down the dark hallway, wondering if he ought to check on the foreigner again. Perhaps he should see how Mokuba was doing first.

Isono hastily made his way towards Mokuba’s door, hearing soft rustling coming from the bed as he creaked the door open softly and stepped into the room.

Mokuba peeked out over the edge of the covers, seeing Isono hover by the door.

“Young Mokuba, I hope we didn’t wake you,” Isono said quietly, watching Mokuba dive back underneath the covers frantically.

“No.” Mokuba said softly, feeling his stomach churn nervously. Isono wanted to send Yami away to “the authorities”, and Seto clearly wanted to keep Yami safe in the house!

“Sleep well.” Isono nodded quietly and eased out of the room, striding across the way to knock softly on Yami’s door.

Yami tensed as he heard a knock sound at the door. He was out of time. The servant was coming in to check on him.

Throwing the pen down with a clatter, Yami picked up the knife and took a deep breath, wondering if he could somehow threaten the servant into helping him escape. But the knife was small, and wasn’t a huge threat….

Isono stepped into the room and carefully shut the door behind himself, seeing the boy sitting very still at his desk with his head lowered. Was he…praying?

Yami lowered the knife and set it on the table.

No, this was useless and pointless and stupid.  
Escape was still an option.  
Escape would still be possible, if he lived.  
  
_It would take the longest, but at least, I will be alive to enjoy the sun and the ocean,_ Yami thought forlornly, hearing the servant’s footsteps approach him softly from behind.  
He heard the servant gasp and he tensed, lowering his hands into his lap and gripping his knees so tightly, his fingers hurt.  
Damn.  
Would the servant punish him for trying to take his own life?  
Would the servant rat him out to the owner?!

Hastily reciting a few Japanese words in his mind, Yami steeled himself to speak.

“Please!” he whispered quietly, turning around in his seat, gazing imploringly up at the manservant. “Isono…!”

Isono couldn’t believe what he was seeing or hearing.

The boy had a small knife sitting on the desk, and beneath it, a fresh sheet of paper, and the pen had rolled off to the far edge of the desk.  
  
It seemed he had come in at the right time…or the wrong time.  
  
Was the foreigner attempting to commit suicide?!

His name echoed in his ears as Isono was barely able to register that the foreigner managed to learn his name. Impressive…but terrible!  
  
He glanced down at the boy, who was blinking his large eyes desperately at him, begging.

“Please…” Yami repeated weakly, “help me.”

He picked up his translation dictionary and pushed the knife aside, watching the servant slowly sink down to his knees and sit on his heels with his hands placed firmly on his thighs.

Blinking in confusion, Yami watched as the servant bent forwards so much that his forehead touched the floor.

Horrified, Yami leapt to his feet, his chair clattering loudly behind him as his heart thudded fearfully in his ears. He stared at the neat swirl of silver hair at his feet, his mind racing as he tried to process what was happening.

This man…was bowing to him!

 _He will help me!_ Yami realized with a jolt, and he watched with increasing amazement as the servant spoke, with his forehead still touching the floor.

“I am deeply sorry for the actions of Master Kaiba,” Isono said quietly, feeling his toes itch as his weight pressed down along his calves. “Please, forgive him.”

Yami blinked rapidly, only understanding fragments of what the servant was saying.

_“….sorry… Kaiba…please forgive…”_

Shaking with disbelief, Yami flipped through his dictionary and sat down in his seat again, carefully penning out a sentence.

He set his pen down with a trembling hand and turned to the servant, shocked to see that he was still bowed forwards.

 _“Please stand…”_ Yami said numbly, fear gripping his chest once more as he wondered what it would look like to his owner if he walked in to see his head servant bowing to his toy slave.

The servant remained motionless, and Yami hastily flipped through his dictionary, memorizing the words as he spoke them, “P-Please stand…Isono…Please….”

Isono clenched his jaw and sat up, but didn’t stand.  
He had believed Master Kaiba when he’d insisted that he didn’t assault the foreigner, but the foreigner may have taken it the wrong way.

He watched the boy hand him a sheet of paper and he accepted it with both hands, seeing the boy’s eyes widen considerably.  
Good, they were communicating.

He glanced down at the paper, a small swirl of amazement bubbling in his chest as he read the words written in small, neat letters.

_“Head Servant, you are noble and kind for apologizing. Thank you.”_

“Ah…” Isono faltered, feeling his heart swell enormously at the foreigner’s words.

Yami gently lifted the paper out of Isono’s hands and flipped through the dictionary again, writing another sentence beneath it and handing it to the servant, feeling oddly relieved when he saw the servant accept it with both hands once more.

It seemed that the servant was keen on respecting him now, after having seen him in that humiliating position, even apologizing for Seto’s actions!  
Perhaps, it was possible to have the servant help him escape!

Isono read the second sentence Yami had written for him: _“Please don’t apologize for the Owner’s actions. If you continue to kneel, I will not accept an apology from you.”_

Isono hastily rose to his feet, feeling himself shiver at the way the foreigner had addressed Master Kaiba.  
_‘Owner’._  
Was there a better way to say, ‘master of the house’?  
Or was that what the boy had chosen to call Kaiba?

Well, earlier, the boy had asked for help, so, Isono resolved to help.  
  
Communicating with this foreigner was easier than talking with Master Kaiba at the moment.

He reached for the pen and placed the paper on the desk, writing his response carefully.

Yami eyed the servant’s shaking hands, pulling the paper towards himself and thumbing through the dictionary to read the sentence. He took the pen and re-wrote it in Arabic, just to make sure he understood it perfectly.

 _“Master Kaiba can be difficult at times, but deep down he is kindhearted, please understand.  Please let me know what I can do to help resolve this misunderstanding. What do you need help with?_  
  
_May I also ask why you have a knife?_  
_May I put it back into the kitchen for you?_  
  
_Are you hungry? Please eat more. I will bring you anything you wish to eat.”_

Yami felt his amazement and respect rising higher and higher for the servant as he re-read the sentence over three times, unable to believe his luck.  
  
“Master Kaiba” was what the servant called the owner.  
   
So, it seemed the servant was keen on apologizing for the Master’s behavior, but he was willing to help.

 _How truthful should I be?_ Yami mused, writing a few sentences from memory before flipping through the dictionary to complete his thoughts.

After a while, he finished his reply and pushed it towards the servant, watching the old man bow and pick it up from the table with both hands, looking quite shaken as he read his words.

 _“Thank you for your help._  
  
_To answer your question: I had a knife because I wanted to take my own life. I feel trapped._  
  
_Yes, I am hungry. I am always hungry._  
  
_Please help me learn how to prepare my own food, so I that won’t be a burden._  
_Please help me learn faster, so that I may leave quickly._

_Please help me, and don’t tell the Master that you are helping me._

_I will continue to act normally around him, as I can’t disobey his requests._

_I am not sure I can forgive him quickly, but for the sake of your help, I will continue living in this house the best I can without bothering anyone.”_

Isono swayed on the spot as he read Yami’s letter over twice, his respect rising higher for the foreign boy the longer he stood there.

 _“…can’t disobey his requests.”_ Isono mumbled, thinking that was the truest statement about Master Kaiba’s personality he had ever read.

It seemed that Yami had a pretty good grasp on what kind of person Kaiba was, based on his appeal for secrecy, _“…don’t tell the Master you are helping me.”_

 _He’s polite, and thinks he’s being a burden!_ Isono realized with a jolt as he passed across the last sentence for the fifth time.

“ _I will continue living in this house the best I can without bothering anyone.”_

Amazing! Isono breathed, unconsciously clutching the paper tighter, thinking he ought to burn it in case Master Kaiba saw this.  
Kaiba was keen on keeping Yami in the house, but the foreigner had sensed this and wanted to leave! Hence, _“I feel trapped….”_

 _Does he accept?_ Yami wondered anxiously, watching Isono slip out his handkerchief and pat his brow lightly.

Isono reached for the pen and set the paper down on the desk, quickly writing:

_“You are a polite and intelligent boy, Yami. I agree to helping you with all of the above._

_I will not tell Master Kaiba I am helping you._

_In fact, if you wish to leave, I will prepare a small fund for you, pulled from my own earnings. I’m not sure how Master Kaiba would feel about any of this, so your discretion is appreciated._

_I will head downstairs now and prepare you some food. Perhaps tomorrow, after your lesson, I can teach you how to prepare a dish._

_Fold this paper in your desk and leave it in the rightmost drawer, I will burn it later.”_

Yami watched the servant push the paper towards him and turn to walk out of his room.

Hearing the door click behind him, Yami began furiously translating the sentences.  
He held the paper up triumphantly, scanning the page hungrily, feeling a rush of gratitude for Isono.

A small fund?! How generous! And the old man was also willing to help destroy evidence!

 _Then, maybe he will burn my practice sheets too!_ Yami thought hopefully, quickly folding the paper up and placing it into the rightmost drawer.

He sat back in his chair and gazed out the window, feeling his heart swirling and leaping for joy. There _was_ a god after all!

Mokuba was his friend, and the servant was his friend and ally.  
He had golden bangles on his arm and he had reading materials.  
  
Escape was within reach.  
  
All he had to do was continue fooling his owner until the time was right.  
  
Even if it meant he had to give his owner his hole, he could run as far away as possible and never look back.  
He would have the language skills and enough funds to live on his own.

Yami glanced down at the knife still sitting on his desk and he placed it in the rightmost drawer, hearing a soft shuffling behind the connecting door and he saw a slip of paper appear underneath the crack.

Frowning, Yami stood quietly and snatched the paper up, scanning it quickly, surprised to see that his owner had written him a letter, in Arabic.

_“Hey,_

_Don’t pass out like you did the previous time we touched._  
_I had to fucking clean your fluids off of you while you were unresponsive._  
  
_Do you think that was a comfortable situation for me??_  
  
_This connecting door will remain locked indefinitely._  
_You may NOT come into my room freely any more. Stay over there._  
  
_And seriously, you are not eating enough._  
_Pass out again, and I’ll call the doctor back into the house and you will get a nutrient needle in your arm.”_

Yami shook with a mixture of rage and frustration, and rushed over to his desk to pen a letter in response, understanding that this was currently the most effective way he could communicate with his owner.

He stood and shoved a slip of paper underneath the door, seeing his owner’s shadow pass across the light in the crack below and Yami could hear the soft rustling of paper as it was unfolded.

Seto scanned the paper, feeling his chest tighten nervously as he saw that Yami had decided to respond in Arabic, and not Japanese.  
Well, fuck.  
It was a learning experience for him either way.

He moved towards his desk and sat down tiredly, pulling up the dictionary again and hurriedly translating Yami’s sentences.

_“Owner,_

_I will do what you say, so you don’t have to fucking threaten me with a needle, or you’ll wake up with it in your neck the day you forget to lock that door._

_Oh, I’m sorry, was that situation uncomfortable for you?_  
_Imagine yourself in my place._  
_I woke up stark naked, thinking you had violated me._  
  
_I take it that since you are a man of your word, you haven’t, and I’m thanking you for that._

 _I want access to the screen in your room._  
  
_New proposal: I get to enter your room for access to the screen, and I will endure being touched by your stupidly beautiful hands._  
_Why are your fingertips so pointed?_  
_Are you part cat?”_

Gritting his teeth and resisting the urge to crumple the letter, Kaiba slipped out a new sheet and angrily wrote his reply in Japanese, pausing to re-evaluate what Yami had written.  
  
_“Stupidly beautiful hands”_ huh? Nice backhanded compliment. He finished writing his reply and stood fluidly, walking back towards the door to shove the paper underneath the crack, seeing movement on the other side.

Yami felt his heartbeat quicken as he saw his owner’s neat, thin handwriting, panning across the paper and he rushed to his seat, flipping through his translation dictionary feverishly.

_“My. Name. is. Seto.  Stop calling me “owner” (of an object)._

_Is that how you consider yourself? An object?_  
If that answer is no, then stop fucking calling me that, or I’ll find an equally irritating nickname for you.  
How does “foreigner” sound to you?  
  
I’ll constantly remind you of your alien status if you continue to address me as an “Owner”.

_Proposal rejected._

_New proposal: You stay in your room, while I stay in mine. I’ll just place a television in your room. Happy? But if your studies fall short by even a millimeter, I’ll confiscate the remote. My rules from earlier still stand._  
  
I _expect nothing less than stellar results since you’re so good at absorbing information._

_You know, now that I think about it, that’s probably why your hair is so spiky. Your brains must go all the way to its tips. I also propose a haircut. What do you think?”_

_Hilarious,_ Yami thought dryly, picking up his pen and taking his time composing sentences in Japanese. He stood after a while, and strode over to the connecting door, sticking the letter underneath haphazardly, seeing no movement.  
  
His owner had probably lost interest.

Shrugging, Yami climbed into the bed and fell face down into the softness, hearing a soft rustling coming from the door.

 _Ah, he’s still awake,_ Yami thought terribly, shutting his eyes and feeling them sting with tiredness.

Seto was lying casually across the top of his comforter when he saw Yami’s letter come sliding underneath the door, and he rolled off the mattress to scoop it up, reading it hastily.

 _“Seto. (Why does your last name translate to Kai-ba? In my language, it’s sea and horse. You must be half-fish, not half-cat. I was mistaken.)_  
  
_Also, what is “sama”?_  
  
_That whiny bitch Rahim kept addressing you as such, and it just made me want to shove my fist in his face._

_You can call me whatever you want.  
Just don’t get pissed if I don’t answer you._

_I’m glad you think putting a screen in my room is a good idea! Please do it! Thank you very much!_

_And for that, I will tell you a secret._  
  
_Yes, my hair is spiky because it is full of brains. I dare you to cut it, for you will be stained with my blood and brains._

 _Thank you for also encouraging me in my studies. You are a strange man._  
  
_Can you at least tell me clearly what you’re expecting of me, other than “stellar results”?_  
  
_…Are you looking for a friend in me?_  
_I can do that._  
  
_Are you looking for a lover in me?_  
_I can try to do that as well, as per our agreement._  
  
_Waiting your reply in the morning. I am sleepy.”_

Seto leaned against the wall, feeling lightheaded as Yami’s words burned into his vision. This letter was the most illuminating of them all.  
Yami sounded feisty and had a wonderful sense of humor. He was also apparently having trouble with colloquialisms like “san” and “sama”.

 _No,_ Seto thought darkly, wondering how that friendship would even work.  
They were already half-fucking. What was Yami’s definition for “lovers” anyway?

Thinking he ought to ask, Seto walked back over to his desk to sit down and pen a reply in Arabic.  

After a long while, he stood to shove the letter back underneath the connecting door before falling heavily into bed.

* * *

Yami heard a soft clicking at the foot of his bed and he slowly cracked his eyes open, seeing a giant crystal chandelier hanging above him, casting rainbow sparkles onto the wall.

He sat up slowly and saw that Isono was setting up a hearty breakfast on the low table for him.

Surprised, Yami bit back a yawn and managed to say, “Thank you.”

Isono looked a little startled, but he bowed out of the room quickly, leaving the door slightly open.

Intrigued, Yami slid out of bed and tiptoed to the door, peering out into the dark hallway. Everything was quiet, and he could see light coming from Mokuba’s room. Was his owner awake? How late had he slept?

Yami didn’t know because the clock had yet to be brought into his room.

Deciding he didn’t care to find out, Yami hastily sat himself down on the floor beside the table heaped with food and began eating enthusiastically, surveying his room carefully.

He paused mid-chew when he saw a slip of paper sitting on the floor beside the connecting door.

Excited, Yami jumped to his feet and swept the letter up, unfolding it hastily, pleased to see that his owner had replied in Arabic.  
There was a pattern.  
  
So his next reply ought to be in Arabic too.  
Then he would expect a reply in Japanese!

Yami frowned, reading the letter over again, feeling his stomach churn at his owner’s cold tone.

_“Yami,_

_I really like that you have a sense of humor._

_My name translates as such in your dictionary because you haven’t properly learned Kanji yet, hence why you still sign your name as ‘Yami’ and not as ‘_ _闇’._

_In fact, you should consider choosing a Kanji character for yourself. The Japanese government will not accept an application for citizenship with the absence of Kanji in a name._

_I will have Miss Ao teach you the terms regarding the term, ‘sama’ and the like._

_Your questions about friends and lovers make me nauseous.  
Let me ask you the same thing._

_Do you want to become friends?_  
_Do you think we’ve been acting like friends?_  
  
_If you answer “yes” to that, you need to get your head checked._

_Do you think we’ve been behaving like lovers?  
Please. You don’t even know how to touch yourself, that much is clear. _

_Come back with solid answers because your behavior gives me headaches.”_

Stuffing the last of his bread into his mouth, Yami moved towards his desk, sitting down nervously, wondering why his owner wanted to submit him to the Japanese government.

 _I’m here illegally! How does that work?_ Yami thought furiously, picking up his pen and setting it down harder than he intended to on the paper.  
If anything, sending him in for a government review was a threat!

He could feel his anxiety rising as he wrote his response.

_“Seto,_

_If its convenient for you, I will just take the Kanji character “_ _闇”_ _…as my name._

_Why do you want to submit my information to the government?!  
Please don’t do that! _

_Why do you insist on giving me such a hard time?!  
I already said I would do as you asked._

_I can be your friend…. I can see that you are lonely!_

_Go on, you can unlock the door. I won’t mind sleeping in the same bed with you every night! I enjoy it! Really!_

_I see that you’ve told your manservant to keep my door unlocked, and I’m deeply grateful for that._

_I can also see that you are unsatisfied with how I approach sexual matters, and I wouldn’t mind if you continued teaching me._  
  
_It doesn’t feel disgusting when you touch me, so I don’t mind it._  
  
_But I would like to mention our earlier agreement again._  
  
_I don’t want to be penetrated.”_

Satisfied, Yami leaned back in his chair feeling his heart thumping his ears as he imagined the feel of his owner’s lips gliding across his.

Gritting his teeth, Yami stood and shoved the piece of paper underneath the door, hearing Isono come into his room.

He whirled around, watching the manservant quietly gather the empty dishes off the table and straighten up to look him square in the eye, speaking, “Miss Ao…here shortly…Master Kaiba. Please…. for later.”

Yami blinked, his ears buzzing as he tried to wrap his mind around the sounds that were coming out of the manservant’s mouth. What was happening later?

“I don’t understand,” Yami said bluntly, pointing at the translation dictionary on his desk and making a writing motion.

Isono nodded and set the tray down, moving towards the desk to pick up the pen, feeling his arm burn from the intensity of Yami’s gaze on his hand inching across the paper.

He set it down and moved to pick up the tray again, eager to leave. The boy’s eyes were intense, and frightening.

Yami watched Isono leave, and he grabbed his dictionary, hastily translating what the servant had written:

_“Miss Ao will be coming here shortly, and Master Kaiba has arranged for her to extend the lesson from two hours, into five._

_Please come downstairs later, I have a personal lesson to teach you._

_You said you wanted to learn how to prepare food? Well, you may come down and help me prepare dinner for the entire house._

_I will be bringing a clock for your desk. Be right back.”_

Shaking with excitement, Yami stood up and paced the room, unable to stay still. A loud, crashing ring echoed around the house and Yami jumped, still not accustomed to the way the doorbell sounded. It was Miss Ao!

Quickly arranging his textbooks neatly on his desk, Yami went to sit himself down on the couch, attempting to look casual.

He heard footsteps approaching his door and Isono strode into the room, setting down a pane of glass onto his desk, and Miss Ao’s voice could be heard greeting Mokuba.

_“Mokuba-chan! How are you?!”_

Yami stiffened and perked his ears up, realizing he could understand most of what was being said.

“Good. Good afternoon Miss Ao,” Mokuba’s voice replied, sounding disgruntled.

Yami stared at the strange pane of glass on his desk, watching the manservant bow as Miss Ao entered the room, and she flashed Yami a bright smile, bobbing her head at him politely in a half-bow.

“Yami! Good afternoon!”

Yami stood and bowed politely. “Good afternoon.”

He watched her move to sit by her desk and he dutifully followed her, hearing Isono shut the door with a soft click.

“Okay, Yami…! Today we will….” She spoke quickly and Yami nodded, struggling to understand, seeing her flip to the end of the book. He realized with a jolt that he had finished this book already!

 _But I can barely understand anything anyone says!_ Yami thought, crestfallen. _I can translate sentences on paper, but that’s it!_

Steeling himself to work harder, Yami directed his full energy into the book in front of him, seeing Miss Ao’s beautifully manicured finger pointing at sentences while speaking softly.  
  
He could do this. It was just a language.  
And his owner was kind enough to extend the lesson time, so there was no excuse.  
He _had_ to learn faster.

* * *

Seto kept his eyes glued to the screen, feeling his secretary enter the room, her heels clicking softly across the stone floors.

He set his jaw, feeling the atmosphere grow warm.  
He hadn’t called her in, so she was only coming in for one other thing….  
  
If she wanted fuck, he was definitely in the mood for it now.  
He had a lot of pent up sexual frustration, and he could really use a good, cathartic fuck right about now.

“Mr. Kaiba!” she sang, leaning forwards towards him, dipping her head down demurely, “I know it’s still early but the rest of your day has been cleared.”

Kaiba glanced at the time, noting it was just past 7PM.  
Damn, it was early.  
Maybe they could go at it twice…maybe thrice.

“I’m leaving early,” she announced, throwing him a look over her shoulder, “I have a date!”

Seto felt his stomach twist uncomfortably as his expectations were crushed.

“With who?” he asked automatically, seeing his hands shake as they hovered over the keys.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She laughed her tinkling laugh. “It’s a foreigner I met recently. I made sure to clear your schedule so that I could leave early to meet him!”

“You like foreigners,” Seto responded dully, remembering how she had been eyeing Yami like a hungry wolf.  
  
The image of Yami’s flushed face slowly rose to the front of his mind, and Seto forcefully pushed it away, feeling his irritation rising.  
Maybe he ought to just pack up and leave too.

“I do,” she replied plainly. “See you tomorrow!”

Slightly put off, Seto stood fluidly and tucked his laptop back into his briefcase, intent on getting home to check on his brother.

* * *

Mokuba swung his legs casually as he watched Yami carefully spoon curry onto a plate and walk over, setting it down onto the kitchen counter with a look of extreme doubt on his face.

“Oh cheer up, I’m sure it’ll taste fine,” Mokuba smiled evilly, knowing it was going to taste terrible. He had been watching Yami and Isono bustle around the kitchen for a while and decided it would be more entertaining to watch Yami learn how to cook, rather than play his video game.

Yami watched as Mokuba shoved a spoonful into his mouth, grinning impishly at him. “It’s good! I’m surprised! I think Seto will be too!”

Immensely relieved, Yami smiled, turning to see Isono nod approvingly at him while wiping his hands on a towel. The manservant handed him a spoon and Yami accepted it from him politely, sticking it in the rice, hesitant to try his own food.

If Mokuba liked it, it must be somewhat edible.  
He lifted the spoon to his mouth and took a bite, chewing slowly.  
It _was_ good! The rice was warm and fluffy, and paired with the thick hearty sauce, it tasted very filling.  
He gazed down at the plate, seeing the bright vegetables mixed in the brown sauce, his chest bursting with gratitude.

He turned to bow deeply at the manservant, feeling giddy. “Thank you…! Thank you very much!”

“Ah…you’re welcome,” Isono mumbled, turning away slightly, feeling his cheeks grow warm. The boy was a polite and enthusiastic learner. 

Suddenly, Yami heard a loud click echoing through the hallway behind him and Mokuba froze, dropping the spoon onto the counter with a loud clatter.

“Seto!” he cried, and he rushed out of sight.

Yami drew in a sharp breath, terror rooting him to the spot as he caught the anxious look flitting across Isono’s face. They were going to get into trouble…! And there was nothing he could do about it! He couldn’t eat the whole plate and clean up all evidence of his learning now, could he?

Seto set his briefcase down on the floor and felt the air slowly being squeezed out of his lungs as Mokuba’s arms tightened around his neck.

“Okay…Mokuba…!” Seto gasped, feeling his brother loosen his hold slightly and beam bright at him, “You missed something really funny today.”

“Did I?” Seto asked tiredly, standing and allowing Mokuba to pull him into the kitchen, catching a whiff of the delicious scent of curry.

Yami blinked, terrified when he saw Mokuba leading their owner into the kitchen and pointing excited at the curry, saying, “Try it!”

Yami threw a furtive glance at the manservant and Isono shook his head, pressing a finger to his lips before moving his hand up to his brow which was lightly beaded with sweat. Ah…the servant was just as nervous as he was.

Yami watched wiuth increasing anxiety as his owner sat down at the counter and dipped the spoon in and lifted it to his lips, eating it without hesitation.

Kaiba could feel all eyes on him as he slowly chewed, and he wondered if the food had been poisoned.

“What?” he growled, his gaze flitting between Yami, who looked extremely worried, and Isono, who was patting his brow nervously with his handkerchief. He glanced down at Mokuba beside him, who grinned mischievously. “Does it taste good?”

“It tastes fine,” Seto answered shortly, resisting the urge to glare his younger brother. “Why, did you make it? Is that why everyone is staring?”

“Nope, guess again,” Mokuba said happily, climbing up on the stool beside him.

 Seto stared at the spoon that was facing the other way on the plate. The handle pointed directly at Yami, and Yami was looking at him keenly, with a strange look on his face.

He dropped his spoon loudly on the plate and made direct eye contact with Yami, seeing the foreigner’s eyes widen significantly.

“You made this?” he asked slowly, seeing Yami blink once and nod slowly and look towards Isono, who was leaning heavily on the counter, white as a sheet.

Kaiba felt a surge of rage and irritation at his manservant as he recalled the accusations Isono had hurled at him last night. “Oh, so it’s fine if you two can be friendly, but when I’m friendly, it’s considered _assault_.”

Isono stiffened and maintained his composure, seeing Mokuba frown curiously at his older brother. “Master Kaiba, if you are still angry about that, let’s discuss that elsewhere.”

Yami held his breath, seeing his owner snap at the servant, and his felt his stomach churn terribly, his throat burning.  
He had gotten the servant in trouble.  
The owner had returned earlier than usual, and had caught them.  
It seemed that the servant had no way of knowing when the owner would return to the house!  
  
“No, we’ll talk about it here,” Kaiba insisted, giving Mokuba glare. “Go back up to your room.”

Mokuba folded his arms and pouted. “What assault?”

“There was no assault,” Seto hissed, pointing at the doorway of the kitchen, “You may come back down after ten minutes. And I want to hear footsteps going up the stairs.”

“I refuse to participate in this conversation,” Isono said coldly, setting the towel down and striding out of the kitchen, catching the terrified look sitting on Yami’s face. “And you’re frightening the boy.”

Seto clenched his jaw, watching Isono walk away and he heard the front door slam.

Yami felt his heart racing a thousand beats per minute inside his chest. Th-The servant had just…left?!

Mokuba gave Yami a confused look, seeing the foreigner mirror his confusion. Seto stood up quietly and strode out of the kitchen, and Mokuba ran over his brother, “Wait! Seto! Let’s play a video game…!”

Yami was left standing alone in the kitchen with the silence ringing in his ears.

He lowered his hands to his sides and clenched his fists, resolving not to let his owner’s temper bother him.

What mattered was that he had successfully prepared a dish with the help of Isono, and it didn’t taste bad.

What mattered was that he had completed a five-hour lesson with Miss Ao, and he had learned loads of new information.

He turned to walk up the stairs, passing by Mokuba’s room, noticing the door was closed, and he could hear sounds of laughter coming from behind it. He heard his owner let out a joyful laugh, and his stomach twisted strangely.

Why was it that his owner only acted like that with Mokuba, and treated everyone else in the house like garbage?

Yami angrily stalked into his room and shut the door, irritated when he realized he couldn’t lock his door from the inside. This was such an annoying privacy issue.  
  
Anyone could walk into his room without warning, but he couldn’t prevent anyone from coming in.

Throwing himself down on the bed, Yami buried his face into his pillow, biting back tears of frustration.

Well, since his owner wasn’t in his room, he could go use the screen.

Lifting his head heavily off his pillow, Yami slid off the bed and spotted a set of magazines stacked on his table he had previously missed.

Ah! The servant had given him extra reading material! How kind of him.

He fanned them out and realized they were all different.  
Fashion, cars, plants, animals...and celebrity magazines.

Yami felt his heart skip a beat when he saw his owner’s handsome face splashed across one shiny cover.

He hastily slid it out and stared at it, feeling resentment curl up in his chest as he stared at his owner’s slender hands, adjusting one of his cuffs on his finely pressed suit.

Rushing to his desk, Yami picked up his pen and roughly translated the entire title of the magazine, including the small text, feeling as though he was getting faster and better at this now.

Yami sat back and compared his translations to bolded words on the magazine’s cover.

_“ **Monthly Feature:** The Piercing Blue Eyes of Seto Kaiba! Headstrong and Full of Confidence!_

_!!!!!Exclusive photos along with a private interview with the elusive mogul!!!!!  
(pg. 15)_

_Voted bachelor of the year along with vocalist, Miin & others! (pg. 36)_

_How to match the perfect watch to your suit (pg. 80)_

_What to wear when she says, “It’s a casual date.” (pg. 43)_

_Trendiest hairstyles to wear this spring (pg. 28)”_

Hastily flipping to page 15, Yami almost dropped the magazine in shock when he saw his owner’s sculpted body sitting bodly on the page with blocks dark, transparent text hovering around his shoulders.

Biting his tongue, Yami leaned over the page, staring at the photos. There were four pages in total, and on each page, there was a full-sized shirtless photo of his owner.  
  
On the first page, Seto was standing, with a thin blue tie draped around his neck while his hands rested casually in his pockets, and the logo on his belt seemed to glow.

Gritting his teeth, Yami turned his attention to the second photo, pleased to see that his owner was sitting in this photo, but that didn’t change the fact that his muscles were all still very visible down across his abdomen. He was smirking, with his slender legs tightly crossed while resting casually on a large white sofa.  
A shiny silver watch gleamed on his wrist, and the laces of his dress shoes looked impossibly neat.

Feeling his eyes heating up, Yami flipped the page, and here, Seto was set against a white background, but his body was wet. Sparkling drops of water dotted his upper body, and Yami shivered, seeing one droplet hanging enticingly off his owner’s perky, oval nipple.

Turning his attention to the last photo, he was dismayed to see that his owner’s back was turned, showing off rippling back muscles, still dripping wet, and he was looking over his shoulder with that classic smirk sitting on his lips. The hair at the back of his head was unnaturally long, and it came down in a sharp point, just above a visible bone at the base of his neck.

Forcing himself to tear his eyes away, Yami set his pen down on the paper, trying to translate the words on each page, but found that he couldn’t focus.

His body felt uncomfortably hot and the backs of his legs were beginning to sweat.

He glanced down at himself and realized he was hard.

Irritated, Yami turned his attention away and tried to ignore it.  
Did he feel this way only because he had been looking at shirtless photos of his owner?  
Impossible.  
His owner was a disgusting person on the inside.  
  
_I hate him, I hate him,_ Yami chanted, shifting uncomfortably in his chair, feeling his dick itch strangely.

He shut the magazine and forced himself to look elsewhere.  
His gaze landed on the strange pane of glass Isono had brought in earlier this morning, and he poked it with the back of his pen, wondering what it was.

He brushed his finger over it and was startled when 9:35PM displayed crisply across it in glowing silver numbers.

A-Amazing! This thin piece of glass was a clock?!

Desperate for something else to do, Yami tapped at it again, seeing a thin circle appear underneath the pad of his finger, detailing several options.

He couldn’t read any of it, so he switched hands and kept his finger pressed against the glass, copying it down onto the paper, feeling his erection throb angrily at him in his pants.

Setting his pen down with a hiss, Yami felt irritation rising as he recalled his owner’s words in the most recent letter: _“Please. You don’t even know how to touch yourself…that much is clear.”_

 _Oh, I’ll show you_ , Yami thought viciously, shoving his hand in his pants and closing his cool fingers around his heated member, shivering at his own touch. He gave himself a few rough jerks, convulsing as the sudden jolt of pleasure ran up along his body, causing his stomach to tighten almost painfully.

Slower.

Yami forced himself to slow down, breathing evenly, leaning forwards over the surface of his desk so much that he felt the edge dig into his upper arms as he gripped himself tightly and gave himself gentle, even strokes, remembering how his owner had grabbed him and palmed his tip.

Shuddering at the memory, Yami tensed and felt a strange heat building at the base of his stomach, and he gasped, seeing his vision fade slightly as his heart pounded thickly in his ears.

He had had trouble here once before, and was caught in this torturous, slow, heated feeling.

He quickened his pace and felt himself relax into his hand, and the pressure melted into a burning bubble which traveled all the way to the ends of his toes.

Suddenly, his owner’s face appeared in his mind, grinning at him while he passed a slender thumb underneath his wet lips, and Yami felt himself cum in a heavy rush, his orgasm causing his knees to jerk upwards so violently that they hit the bottom of the table, and the stinging pain made his eyes water.

Breathing heavily, Yami glanced down at himself, feeling strangely empty as he stared down at his hand and the fluids he had spilled, seeing it drip downwards into his pants.  
  
Horrified, he leapt to his feet and rushed into bathroom to clean up.

A cold trickle of embarrassment washed over him as he realized that the manservant would be picking up his clothes for laundering.

 _I will wash my own clothes,_ Yami thought fiercely, stepping out of his soiled underwear and into the shower.

Seto returned to his room, hearing the water running in Yami’s room, and he felt a curl of satisfaction settle in his chest. Good. This was a good sign.

Hurrying towards the connecting door, he glanced down and saw the slip of paper sitting on the floor. Ah, Yami’s reply.

He swept it up and unfolded it, read it quickly, frowning as he realized Yami had deeply misunderstood him… _again._

“ _Why do you want to submit my information to the government?!  
Please don’t do that! _

_Why do you insist on giving me such a hard time?!”_

_It’s for citizenship, you fucking idiot,_ Seto thought tiredly, coming across the last few lines of the letter and feeling his blood run cold.

“…I can see that you’re lonely…unlock the door….”

“I don’t want to be penetrated.”

But everything beside that is fine, right? You slut, Seto thought tiredly, unlocking the connecting door and shoving the letter into the nearest nightstand before heading into the bathroom for a shower.

In the other room, Yami heard water running as soon as he shut his hose off, and he pressed his ear against the wet tiles, nothing other than the echo of water.

Sighing, he quickly got dressed and balled up the semen-soiled clothes on the counter, resolving to ask Isono to teach him how Japanese people laundered clothes.

He tested the connecting door and to his surprise, it was unlocked. His owner must have read his letter after all.

Yami leapt into his owner’s bed and pressed his face deeply into the pillows, inhaling the sweet scent as the strange twisting feeling began building in his stomach, and he sat up breathlessly, staring down at himself, relieved to see that he wasn’t hard.

Falling forwards into the sheets again, Yami shut his eyes, feeling his head spin.

This was an irritating feeling.

Every time his owner spoke to him, he hated it. But whenever they communicated in silence and with only touching, he felt alive, electric, and it was amazing.

 _I think…I actually really like him, deep down_ , Yami thought miserably, pulling the sheets over his head, trying to drown himself in his owner’s scent. Maybe if he inhaled it more, he would get sick of it.

Seto stepped out of the shower and froze, seeing a familiar lump underneath his covers. Well...that was quick.

Sighing, he hastily got dressed and draped the towel around his neck, sliding underneath the comforter, seeing the lump beside him tense. A spiky tri-colored head appeared and large, angular violet eyes stared unblinkingly at him.

“Sleep,” Seto said gruffly, seeing Yami blink and shake his head. He frowned, wondering if Yami was doing that because he didn’t understand, or if it was because he was saying no.

“Then come here,” Seto commanded, patting the spot right beside him, feeling his cheeks beginning to grow warm, and the pent-up emotions from this afternoon returned in a huge rush.  
Fuck.  
Goddammit.  
No. No sex on the bed.

Yami nodded and inched closer, watching his owner lie down beside him, turning away pointedly.

Offended, Yami glared at his owner’s broad back, trying to shove the image from the magazine out of his mind.

Angry at himself, Yami inched closer to his owner, pressing his forehead into the smooth expanse, feeling his owner tense.

Seto held his breath, feeling Yami snuggle up behind him and relax.

Taking deep even breaths, he shut his eyes and forced himself to ignore the raging boner between his legs.

* * *

Author’s note:

 **OK, IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN!**  
  
I NEED AN EDITOR FOR THIS FIC!!!  
  
Please message me on my tumblr for more details if you happen to be interested!

This was a less smutty chapter, but moar smut coming up in the next one!

Tell me your thoughts in a review!

Love,  
Ugli


	16. I just want to feel trust

Yami felt incredibly warm and comfortable. He could see the light against his eyelids and decided to keep his eyes shut.

He had had the loveliest dream where he was walking down a sunny shop-lined street filled with flowers. His owner had appeared before him and greeted him like an old friend, beaming handsomely at him, his teeth flashing brightly in the sunlight while they shook hands and chatted about current events.

His owner had then led him down the street towards a pretty little flower shop, and gifting him with a bundle of large flowers before kissing him lightly on the forehead and heading off again.

 _I can dream,_ Yami thought wistfully, stretching his legs lightly and enjoying the warmth between his thighs. He froze when his toes brushed up along his owner’s shin, realizing the back of his owner’s leg was shoved between his own, and the base of his knees were pressed up against something wonderfully soft.

Forcing himself to relax, Yami decided it was best to do nothing and wait for his owner to wake up first. He shut his eyes and began to drift off pleasantly again, feeling his owner shift softly in his sleep.

Seto was wide awake.  
  
He had been for the past thirty minutes, wondering when Yami would wake up so he could move his damn leg out from between his thighs. Yami’s knee was shoved tightly up against his balls and his boner was starting to ache and leak.

He had been trying to hold it off since he’d woken up, and he was at his breaking point.

If Yami was such a deep sleeper, then he would jerk himself off quickly and be done with it.

Yami breathed deeply, enjoying his owner’s sweet scent rising up around him. He felt his owner shift again, and he lifted his eyelids slightly. His owner was rocking back and forth slightly on his knee, and Yami tensed, his heart thundering in his ears as he realized…his owner was touching himself!

Seto shut his eyes and gave into the searing sensation building at the base of his stomach. He felt Yami move his leg away and the pressure against his balls lessened, causing his stomach to twist and suddenly feel empty.

Letting out a slow hiss, he tightened his ankles together, effectively trapping Yami’s leg between his thighs, gently easing his weight back onto Yami’s knee, half-praying he would wake up, half-praying he wouldn’t.

Yami felt his owner tighten around his knee and he held his breath, feeling a mixture of terror and amazement. Could he withdraw his knee now?!

He felt his skin chafe roughly against the fabric of his pants as he yanked his leg out from between his owner’s legs, seeing his owner sit up and glare furiously at him, spitting out the words, “Put it back.”

Blinking in amazement, Yami nodded slowly, watching his owner lay back down beside him with a soft _pof!_ and he tentatively pressed himself flush against his owner’s back, wrapping his arms around Seto’s muscular frame and feeling his chin rubbing into a sharp point on his owner’s shoulder blade.

Seto tensed, his head spinning violently as Yami’s arms snaked around his body from behind and gave him a tight squeeze. He shifted his legs angrily, expecting Yami to put his leg back between his thighs, but paused when he felt Yami’s hardness pressing against the small of his back. The feeling aroused him immensely.

Maybe…a dick would feel better shoved up against his balls than a knee….

Yami bit his tongue nervously, feeling his owner’s hand rest gently on his thigh to push him off slightly and inch down towards his groin. Startled, Yami stayed very still, feeling his hardness easing away from his body, and his owner started shifting slightly again, as if he was trying to say, “move your dick between my legs.”

 _I-Is that really what he wants?_ Yami thought as he desperately hoped he wasn’t misreading the situation, but it seemed the longer he remained unmoving, the more his owner’s impatience grew.

Seto rolled forwards and dug his nails firmly into Yami’s skin, straining to maneuver Yami’s dick between his thighs, feeling Yami’s body grow heavy and remain still. Fucking…put…--

Suddenly, Yami’s grip tightened around his waist and a heated thickness slid between his thighs, pressing right into the center of his balls, causing thin streams of heat to travel up and down his entire body as Yami inched himself up tighter behind him, his hot breath panning across his shoulder blades.

Holy fuck. Yes.

Seto reached down with shaking fingers to touch, feeling the head of Yami’s penis graze the pads of his fingertips, and he felt Yami shiver happily behind him.

He trailed his fingers up, grazing lightly over his own balls and up to his own shaft, reaching his other hand down to gently rub Yami’s slit, which was sitting tightly up against his testicles.  
  
Could Yami move?  
Could he thrust repeatedly between his legs while he jerked himself off?

Seto grabbed himself and gave his shaft a few long strokes, giving the head of Yami’s penis a playful pinch with his other hand, hearing Yami gasp and bite down lightly on his shoulder blade. He shivered ecstatically. Yes…yes, more of that.

Yami shut his eyes and pressed his lips tightly against his owner’s muscular back, his vision turning green as he found it was becoming increasingly harder to breathe while his owner rolled the head of his dick between his fingers, and Yami found himself wishing his owner would stroke him.

He squirmed restlessly, seeing his owner’s elbow moving quickly as he pleasured himself, and Yami grit his teeth, pulling out slightly and shoving himself back powerfully between Seto’s thighs, his stomach clenching with a heated pleasure as his dick rubbed roughly against skin and…softness.

His owner’s hand came to rest on his thigh again and tapped repeatedly. Faster.

 _I can do that_ , Yami thought viciously, his mind heavy with lust as he grabbed his owner’s hips and slammed himself forcefully into the tight space between his owner’s legs. He risked a glance down, and saw his stomach pressing tightly against his owner’s back. He pulled out and saw his own dick, pleasurably rubbed red and raw, and he leaned back in, watching his shaft disappear beneath his owner’s pert ass cheeks.

Yami could hear his owner’s light pants drifting audibly around the room, and he felt a deep rush of satisfaction.

His owner enjoyed having his hardness between his legs.

 _Maybe, he will want me inside his hole,_ Yami thought excitedly, ramming himself forward again, enjoying the violent tremor of pleasure racking his body as his owner pressed firmly into his tip again.

Seto’s vision was fading in and out as Yami continued to thrust roughly between his legs with a strange, frenzied desperation, and he couldn’t help but feel deeply aroused, tightening his thighs around Yami’s shaft and pumping himself furiously, losing himself in the feeling of his own hand with Yami’s dick chafing pleasurably between his legs, and he felt himself cum violently in a giant heave, curling forwards into his own hand as Yami hissed behind him and dug his teeth into the tender spot between his shoulder blades, rolling his tongue thickly across his skin.

Shuddering with each continuous wave of his orgasm, Seto forced himself to breathe evenly, registering that Yami was still vigorously shoving himself between his legs. After a few more thrusts, Seto felt a hot liquid spill out underneath his balls and pool wetly beneath his hip.

Yami pressed his damp forehead against his owner’s back, his chest heaving, his heart pounding so fast, it became a low hum. He flopped back onto the pillows, shutting his eyes, feeling the room dip and swim around him. Amazing. That was another new, amazing feeling.

Seto sat up dizzily, glancing over at Yami, amused to see the foreigner had a hand passed over his eyes, looking thoroughly spent.

“Hey, did you like that?” He asked steadily, seeing Yami nod weakly and give a quiet response, “Yes.”

Raising his eyebrows, Seto spoke again, slightly surprised that Yami seemed to understand him. “You can understand me?”

Yami opened his eyes, feeling his bandages graze roughly across his forehead.

 _“You can understand me?”_ Yes, surprisingly enough. But he wasn’t about to let his owner know that.

He shook his head tightly and shut his eyes again, feeling his heartbeat slow down into an even pound.

Seto eased off the bed, shivering as the fluids dried quickly across his body, and he felt a sudden rush of guilt and anxiety. God…why was it so hard to refrain from touching Yami when they were in bed together?

He saw Yami struggle to sit up and he eyed the bandages loosening around his wrist, realizing he had neglected to change them.

Not bothering to cover himself up, he marched over to his desk and slid out the bottle of rubbing alcohol he kept in the bottommost drawer, along with a set of spare bandages, and made his way back towards Yami, seeing his eyes widen.

Yami felt his heart swell wonderfully as he realized his owner was tending to his wound. He held his wrist out eagerly, blushing deeply as his owner sat down across from him, stark naked, with a sticky sheen shining across his thighs.

He forced himself to look away, feeling the bandages fall away from his arm.  
He stared at his skin, amazed.  
It was smooth and unblemished, with no trace of redness or discoloration.  
It was as if the numbers had never been there!

Yami felt his chest tighten painfully as he suppressed a gasp, seeing his owner turn his arm in the light, passing a cotton piece over the skin and lightly running his thumb over the area, looking satisfied.

“Good,” Seto growled, reminding himself to call the doctor in his spare time to see how the old man was doing at the new clinic he had bought in downtown Domino.  
  
Money well spent.  
  
The healing process went perfectly, due to Yami’s willingness to follow instructions with the wrappings.

Yami jerked his arm back and ran his thumb over where his numbers had been, feeling a deep sense of gratitude towards Seto.

Those horrid numbers were a terrifying reminder of the urine-soaked room and the nameless boy. Maybe now, he could forget…even just a little…!

“Shower,” Seto said shortly, pointing into the bathroom, and Yami nodded, wondering if his owner wanted to bathe with him. He eased off the bed and stepped towards his owner’s bathroom, hearing Seto snap at him, “Go back into your room, you idiot.”

 _Ah, I’m an idiot_ , Yami thought miserably, feeling his eyes water as he turned to face his owner, forcing a blank smile across his face. He pointed questioningly towards the connecting door and watched his owner nod furiously and point at the door too.  
Go back.

 _I understood that_ , Yami thought faintly, drifting through the connecting door and into his own bathroom.

He stepped into the shower and switched the water on, holding his wrist underneath the running water, marveling at how normal it felt.

 _What does this mean?_ Yami wondered, shutting off the water and grabbing a towel.

Did this mean he could no longer be identified by those men?  
  
Did it mean his owner couldn’t sell him again?

 _I must still remember my number,_ Yami resolved. It was why he had been brought into his country.

Hastily getting dressed, he stepped out of the bathroom, shocked to see his owner fully dressed in a sharp suit and sitting on the couch, apparently waiting for him to come out.

“Yami,” Seto said evenly, holding out a slip of paper towards the foreign boy, watching him blink steadily at him, “Read this.”

Yami hesitated before accepting the paper with both hands, unfolding it quickly, pleased to see that his owner had chosen to write in Arabic.

_“I’m glad that wound healed. That damn tattoo won’t fucking bother you anymore._

_Your skin will be sensitive to sun for a while. Doctor says 3 weeks. So wear long-sleeved shirts, otherwise the skin will discolor._

_Understand?”_

_I understand,_ Yami thought happily, smiling gratefully at his owner, seeing him frown and speak, “I’m asking if you understand.”

Startled, Yami nodded swiftly, wondering if his ears were deceiving him.

His owner had said, _“I’m asking if you understand….”_

“Right,” Seto said plainly as he saw Yami nod uncertainly. He stood and adjusted his blazer, “See you later tonight. I’m off.”

 _I can understand him…! Because he speaks in short phrases,_ Yami realized, stunned.

 “Later…” Yami replied, feeling numb. He saw his owner turn to give him a strange look before exiting the room.

Shaking with disbelief, Yami rushed over to his desk and tucked the letter away into a drawer, hearing a soft shuffle of footsteps echo behind him.

He spun around to see the manservant bowing deeply at him. “Good morning. Today…I was hoping…and if….”

“I don’t understand,” Yami said bluntly, waving the dictionary and sliding a fresh sheet of paper out of his desk.

The manservant nodded firmly and strode over to the desk, picking up the pen and quickly writing:

_“Today, you don’t have a lesson with Miss Ao, so would you like to follow me around the house and help me complete daily duties, such as: dusting, vacuuming, laundry, tidying general living areas, bush-trimming in the garden, and food preparation?”_

Yami snatched the paper up and hastily translated it, his eyes darting excitedly across the words.

“Yes!” He replied enthusiastically, nodding at Isono.

Isono smiled tightly and gestured to the door, “Well, laundry is…”

 _Ah!_ Yami thought hastily, leaping to his feet and rushing into the bathroom to grab his soiled clothes.

Isono watched the foreigner reappear with his arms full of dirty clothing and he couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of satisfaction. Good. This boy understood enough if he spoke slowly.

Yami followed the manservant downstairs and into another room he had never been in before. He was led over to two, square machines with glass fronts, and he listened intently as Isono patiently explained the knobs and buttons.

“Blue…is cold water. Turn right…to set…usually cotton. 45 minutes….”

Yami nodded anxiously and set his bundle of clothes into the machine, watching the servant point at a fresh set of towels sitting on a glass shelf nearby, speaking slowly, “These are yours…change the set every week.”

 _I understand,_ Yami nodded, and watched the servant shut the machine door and it roared to life.

Isono slipped him a white piece of cloth, and Yami stared at it strangely, watching the manservant press his own cloth to his face and loop two white bands around his ears.  
A face mask?

Yami dutifully followed suit, pressing the mask around his nose and looping the bands over his ears, feeling odd.

He spent the rest of the day following Isono around, watching him direct the other servants and maids to different parts of the house, while occasionally being handed a broom or a dustpan.

A couple of men dragged a large vacuum cleaner into the center of the living space and started running it over the fluffy rug.

The high whine from the machine was causing Yami’s ears to ache.

He was led into the room with the large theater screen, and Isono pressed the vacuum handle into his hands, pointing back and forth across the room. Clean in rows.

Yami nodded and picked up the machine, doing as he was told, feeling his arms beginning to grow weary with every push and pull.

 _This hurts because I am weak,_ Yami thought darkly, straightening up and wiping his brow, seeing Isono nod approvingly at him. _But I will gain muscle this way. This is good._

The two men he’d seen earlier came in to carry the vacuum away, and he followed the manservant out into the garden where he was handed a pair of heavy shears.

“Clip anything that sticks out visibly,” Isono instructed, pointing at a lone branch sticking out of a rounded bush and making a scissoring motion with his fingers. He saw the boy nod at him and clip the branch as directed. Good.

He watched as Yami moved down along the rows, diligently continuing to trim the hedges, looking determined.

After a while, Yami realized he had inspected and trimmed stray branches off every hedge in the garden, and he set the shears down. He stretched, enjoying the way the sun was warming his back.

“Yami…”

The manservant was calling him back into the house.

Yami followed Isono back inside and into the kitchen, watching the old man slip out several knives and begin chopping vegetables.

He rinsed his hands and took directions as best he could, and before long, the warm smell of cooked fish and rice filled the air.

Mokuba showed up and sat at the counter, eating the food they had made with great interest, pausing between bites to smile at him.

Yami smiled back gently, feeling his heart swell mightily. He hastily finished his own food and set the dishes into the sink, feeling himself itch. He was covered in sweat and dust, and he was aching for a wash, but the manservant wasn’t done with him.

He was directed to use the machine embedded into the counter. It pulled out into thin metal racks which Isono made him stack plates and silverware into, and once again, the servant was explaining instructions about buttons.

_“Thin wash….for fewer people…heavy cycle….party.”_

Yami nodded mutely, and pointed at the kitchen doorway. “I feel…dirty.”

And he felt his heart race, wondering if that phrase made sense. He had originally learned it for the purposes of his escape, but it seemed like it could also work here.

Isono nodded and smiled, patting him gently on the shoulder, “Yes, you may….”

Yami nodded gratefully and headed up the grand staircase, feeling Mokuba rush past him so fast, he almost lost his balance.

Mokuba made a playful face at him before disappearing into his room, and Yami leapt up the last few steps, poking his head into the room, seeing Mokuba point excitedly at the TV, where a series of bright characters were leaping across a leveled terrain.

A game!

Excited, Yami nodded but made a rubbing motion over his arms, “I need to…”

“OK,” Mokuba said happily, waving the spare controller, “hurry up!”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Yami raced into his room and stripped off his clothes, jumping into the shower, hurriedly cleaning himself before rushing out again to get dressed.

He crossed the hallway back into Mokuba’s room and cautiously sat down beside him, immediately having a controller shoved into his lap.

“You’re the green guy,” Mokuba said vaguely, making his blue character do a flip on the screen.

Yami nodded enthusiastically and made his character do a similar flip, enjoying the way the buttons felt beneath his fingers. This was going to be fun!

“Follow me,” Mokuba ordered, moving his character off-screen to the right, pleased to see Yami happily follow him. 

* * *

Seto heard his phone ring across his desk and he picked it up, mildly irritated.  
  
“What?” And his secretary’s voice floated through the receiver, “Mr. Kaiba, do you recall the harassment suit that was filed by a manager of the data science department? He’s coming up to see you now. He’ll be arriving in a few minutes.”

He felt his eyelid twitch and he hung up, quickly saving his work and standing to stretch his legs.

A harassment suit was filed anonymously, and no one wanted to deal with it, so here he was, bearing the entire weight of it on a random afternoon.  
It was probably a woman who wanted to be transferred.

He would transfer her quickly, be forced to apologize on behalf of whoever had groped her, and then fire said groper.

He could hear the soft click of footsteps approaching his door and he inwardly cursed, forcing his face to remain neutral.

To his slight surprise, an attractive, middle-aged man with slick black hair stepped into his office, wearing a neatly-pressed suit, looking extremely anxious.

He hovered by the door and bowed skittishly, “M-Mr. Kaiba…apologies for the inconvenience.”

“Sit,” Kaiba growled, pointing at the plush couch in the center of the room.

He watched the man sit at the far end and cross his legs tightly, gripping his hands together tightly in his lap.

“Speak,” Kaiba said irritably, sitting down on the other end, wondering if he ought to offer the man a drink. This was the second time he had had to personally deal with a harassment complaint, and the other time, it had been a female worker who had wanted to name her attacker in person.

This man was older than him, and looked as if he had something else to say.

“I filed it,” he said shakily, “but, I’m not the one being harassed. It’s a bit of a complicated matter.”

Seto could feel his irritation increasing as he watched the man tap his shiny dress shoe frantically against the stone floor, and Seto sighed, leaning back into his seat, “I will transfer you.”

The man looked stricken and shook his head tightly. “No, please. I do not wish to be transferred. I just need…time off.”

Kaiba frowned, looking the man full in the face, noting that he had very soft brown eyes, and his features were very delicate. “How long? And do you expect to be paid during this time off?”

The man dipped his head down, staring at his hands, looking sullen. “I’m not sure,” he whispered, “I may have messed things up badly, so I am sorry for that. I don’t even know why I’m sitting here. I may have been bullied to come up here. Perhaps I should leave…”

And the man uncrossed his legs, shaking slightly as his fingertips wrapped over his knees tightly.

There was a long silence during which Kaiba discretely slid his phone out of his pocket and checked the email his secretary had sent, searching for the name of this employee.

Takanagi Shige.

“What do you suggest I do, Mr. Kaiba?” The man glanced at him imploringly, looking distraught.

“Honestly,” Kaiba snorted, losing his patience with the man’s vagueness. “I have no idea what happened, so it’s not my place to say.”

“Then I will tell you, and you can direct me down the most unobtrusive path,” the man said nervously, folding his hands tightly in his lap again.

Seto nodded and waited for the man to speak, feeling like this was an enormous waste of his time.

“I broke up with someone…and they want to continue seeing me, but I refused. It’s as simple as that. The only other issue is, they know where I live, and they keep showing up at my door,” the man whispered.

 Seto was barely listening, seeing a few texts popping up on his phone from Isono.

_“The boy was very productive today. Helped out around the house….”_

“Then call the police,” Seto responded impatiently.

It sounded as if the man was having trouble with his stalker-girlfriend outside of the workplace. “I’ll give you the days off, but you say she’ll show up at your door. I can transfer her instead, how does that sound?”

The man turned a deep shade of red and began fidgeting again. “A-Actually…it’s a man. And…when he came into my apartment, he saw….”

“Then I’ll transfer _him_ ,” Seto corrected himself irritably, wondering what the quickest way he could get this man out of his office. “That still won’t change the fact that he shows up at your door. Try filing a stalking report.”

“He’s a bit irrational,” the man continued, sounding as if a stopper had been pulled, “He saw…something in my room that made him immediately assume that you and I were dating. I couldn’t convince him otherwise! He was going to come up here to ask you to confirm a non-existent relationship, so I decided I would prevent that by coming up here first!”

Seto felt the room suddenly dip down beneath him and his ears began ringing loudly. What?

“And…what do you want me to do about that?” Seto heard himself ask, beginning to grow numb.

“H-He says he’ll leave me alone, because he says he’s no competition…for you! So…if possible, please just…send him a message asking him to…back…off?” the man stammered, sounding deeply embarrassed.

Seto blinked rapidly, digesting what the man had previously said. _“He saw something in my room that made him assume…you and I were dating…!”_

“What’s in your room?” Seto asked bluntly, looking the man straight in the eye, “Shige-san?”

The man seemed completely thrown after hearing his own name.

“He-…it…h-he saw…nothing!” the man insisted, the color draining from his face as he looked away pointedly, his shoulders tense with embarrassment.

Intrigued, Seto smirked and crossed his legs firmly, deciding that this situation did interest him after all.  
Did this man have a strange, shirtless shrine of him?  
His curiosity was getting the better of him.

“If you tell me, I will tell your boyfriend to back off. You can even watch me compose the email. I’ll give you a handwritten note, or would you rather I made a voice message?” Seto urged steadily, seeing the man blush deeply again, which instantly reminded of Yami.

“It…it’s…a photoshopped photo,” Shige said miserably, burying his face in his hands. “It’s of…us…kissing. I…made it.”

Deeply amused, Seto grinned. “Well you must have pretty good photoshop skills if it’s believable.”

The man raised his head out of his hands, staring at Kaiba, shocked, clearly unable to believe his own ears.

“I’ll give you a handwritten note,” Seto decided, feeling a laugh bubbling in his chest, “And discard of it afterwards. I don’t want it getting out to the media, do you understand?”

The man nodded vigorously, his eyes slightly wet at the corners, “Thank you, Mr. Kaiba.”

Standing smoothly, Seto made his way over to his desk and slid out a pad of paper, his pen poised above it, “What’s his name?”

“M-Mike…” Shige stammered, “Anderson….”

Seto hastily penned a message, a strange feeling curling in his chest.

This man…was clearly gay.

 _If I’m gay, I would enjoy kissing him, wouldn’t I_? Seto thought viciously, tearing off the sheet and handing it to the man, who blushed again and didn’t make eye-contact.

Would that be considered harassment? Abuse of power? But the man had basically confessed his feelings….

“I’ll be leaving now…” Shige mumbled, moving slowly towards the door.

“Wait,” Seto commanded, circling his desk. “Come here.”

The man nodded and tucked the note into his pocket, approaching him steadily, his gaze fixed on his toes.

“We’re going to kiss,” Seto said bluntly, moving closer towards the man, seeing him jerk his head up with an expression of deep incredulity.

He kept his gaze focused firmly on the bridge of the man’s nose and leaned his face forwards, seeing the man jut eagerly up on his toes and part his lips, his cheeks tinged a deep pink.

Their lips touched, and Seto could feel the man trembling as he deepened the kiss, bringing a hand up to press their heads closer together, tasting the man’s wet breath on his tongue, the strange scent of his cologne threatening to choke the air out of him.

Frowning, Seto pulled away, thinking that Yami tasted better, and a natural scent was preferable.  
  
Suddenly, the man pressed himself forwards again, locking his arms firmly around Seto’s neck, his eyes wild and desperate, “I liked that…! Didn’t you? I’ll go as far as you want…!”

 _Really,_ Seto thought sarcastically, but before he had time to think, the man attacked his neck with a flurry of rough bites, and he found himself shoved up against his desk, with the man’s boner pressing into his thigh as teeth scraped across his Adam’s apple, causing him to shiver inadvertently.

 _It can feel good with a man too,_ Seto thought darkly, feeling himself beginning to slip as the man palmed his crotch and gave him a solid squeeze through his pants. Foreign fingers slipped his zipper down, and thick hands came sliding into his pants to squeeze his shaft.  
  
_It’s not just Yami._ _I’m gay,_ Seto balked privately as he allowed the man to feel him up a bit more, feeling heated hands brushing across his nipples.

“Touch me too!” The man begged, and Kaiba could see the buttons straining across the man’s dress shirt as he yanked at his collar. “I’ve always wanted to…with you…! I-I would have never thought…!”

“Get off me,” Seto said numbly, attempting to push the man off, feeling the man resist and cling onto him tighter, and teeth grazed dully across his collarbone. “Shige-san!”

“Yes, say my name, just like that!” The man cried wildly, desperately dry-humping his thigh, and Seto winced, knowing his secretary could probably hear them through the wall.

“Get off…get off...!” Seto hissed. He elbowed the man in the chest and shoved his knee into man’s crotch just as the door to his office clicked open, and his secretary’s head poked into the room, looking concerned.

She spied the man doubled over on the floor by his feet, and she turned beet red, ducking out of the room with a soft squeak, slamming the door with unnecessary force.

“Are you happy now?” Seto demanded, his heart racing frantically in his chest.  
He forced himself to calm down, feeling his boner itch in his pants.  
  
This man might willingly suck him off too…and it would probably be just as amazing.

“I’m…s-sorry!” The man gasped, adjusting himself into a bowed position, tucking his knees beneath himself and pressing his forehead to the floor, “I’m…so sorry…!”

Seto felt a sudden rush of irritation towards the man. Well, that was a huge turn-off.

“Stand up,” he said coldly, seeing the man rise unsteadily to his feet with his gaze once again fixed on the floor.

“I’m sorry,” Shige mumbled again, bowing forwards and clasping his shaking hands in front of himself, attempting to hide his erection.

 _Whatever_ , Kaiba thought sourly, giving the man an appraising look.  
Fine.  
If shit didn’t work out with Yami, he could call on this man for a heartless fuck.

“I have your information,” Seto said plainly, watching the man fidget nervously in front of him, “I’ll call you, but don’t count on it. That spot on my list is currently filled.”

He saw the man swallow tensely and bow deeper, his voice shaking, sounding positively ecstatic. “Th-Thank you. I…will hope.”

“I said don’t count on it,” Kaiba replied dryly as Yami’s flushed expression flashed across his mind again. “If you leak a story, you’re fired, and I will sue you for slander.”

The man bowed twice, almost bending himself completely in half. “I know better than that, Mr. Kaiba. I know a good thing when I have one. Th-thank you again!”

There was a long silence, and the phone ringing across his desk shattered it quickly.  
  
Seto picked it up, his secretary’s voice drifted into his ear. “Mr. K-Kaiba? Is everything alright in there?”

“Yes,” he replied coldly, giving the man a glare and pointing at the door. Get the fuck out.

The man bobbed his head nervously and scurried out of his office, shutting the door with a soft click.

“Ah, I see him now,” his secretary said shakily, hanging up the phone with a click.

He set the phone back into its cradle and palmed his face painfully, the scent of the man’s cologne drifting lightly up around him.  
Gross. Now he needed a fucking shower.

Deciding he was done for the day, Seto slipped his laptop into his briefcase and readjusted his shirt around his body with numb fingers.

He heard the door click behind him and his secretary floated into the room, looking extremely worried, surveying the room casually. “Did he…assault you?”

“I’m fine,” Kaiba answered roughly, shutting his briefcase with a solid snap. “I’m going home for the day.”

“Is he fired?” She asked knowingly, nodding and staring at the loose button at the center of Kaiba’s chest. “Y-your button…here, Mr. Kaiba.” She said nervously, pointing at the center of her chest.

Cursing, Kaiba fixed it and swept his briefcase off from his desk, striding past her angrily, hearing her call out behind him, “It happens daily to women too!”

Y _eah, that doesn’t fucking make it okay,_ Kaiba thought furiously, slamming his office door behind him.

* * *

Seto stepped through the doorway of the mansion and heard cheerful laughter drifting down from the staircase.

Isono greeted him quickly, bowing, “Master Kaiba, you’ve been returning early recently.”

Ignoring him, Seto ascended the staircase and approached Mokuba’s room, hearing rumbling sounds of a video game coming from behind the door. He pushed it open and blinked, staring at the strange scene before him.

Yami and Mokuba were sitting knee-to-knee, laughing heartily and jostling each other as their characters fought over a glowing orb.

“Mokuba…” Seto said hollowly, setting his briefcase on the floor.

Yami and Mokuba simultaneously jerked their heads around to stare, and Mokuba’s face broke out into a delighted grin, “Seto!”

Mokuba dropped his controller with a clatter and rushed into his brother’s arms, hugging him tightly. A strange, alien scent drifted up around him and he wrinkled his nose, “Seto…you kinda smell.”

Swallowing tightly, Seto nodded, seeing Yami staring at them strangely, his angular violet eyes wide with curiosity.

“Play with us?” Mokuba begged, leading his brother over by the hand and sitting him firmly beside Yami.

Yami tensed, as a thick, cloying scent filled his nostrils, and he stared at his owner, wondering which woman he had slept with today while he was in the office.

Holding his breath, Yami did his best to smile, feeling his heart pound painfully in his chest as his eyes began tearing up at the corners.

 _Get used to it!_ He screamed at himself, gripping the controller tightly and turning his attention back to the screen.

Seto felt Yami tense beside him and he did his best to ignore it, hearing Mokuba cackling beside him as his character went careening off the edge of a cliff.

Yami couldn’t bring himself to laugh.  
The strange perfume smell was choking him.

He hit pause and stood swiftly, hearing Mokuba groan and whine.  
  
“Yamiii…!”

“I’m leaving,” Yami stumbled over his words, attempting to keep his face neutral as he stalked across the hall and back into his room.

He slammed the door and leaned against it heavily, taking deep, even breaths, but the disgusting scent stuck to the back of his throat.

This was fine. There wasn’t anything in his owner’s contract about not touching other women.

He heard a soft knock at his door, and he grit his teeth. God damn his owner. God damn everything and everyone in this house.

Yami yanked the door open, surprised to see Mokuba standing before him, looking apologetic.

“What,” he asked roughly, seeing Mokuba open and close his mouth uncertainly before pushing his way into the room and shutting the door once again.

“I know,” Mokuba said slowly, glancing down at his toes, feeling his cheeks heat up.

 _What does he know?_ Yami thought tiredly, moving to sit on the edge of his bed, hearing the rush of running water coming from his owner’s room.

Mokuba watched Yami sit on the bed and he took a seat at the desk, staring at the translation dictionary, and at the thick stack of yellow practice sheets.

“I know Seto doesn’t like you…the same way you like him,” Mokuba said, wondering if Yami could even understand him. “He smelled like….”

Yami understood him perfectly.

_“Seto doesn’t like you...he smelled….”_

“I know,” Yami echoed viciously, gripping the comforter so tightly that his knuckles burned. The child came in here so they could trash-talk their owner together.  
Why?  
It wouldn’t make him feel any better about the situation.

“Can you…make him like you more?” Mokuba asked lamely, kicking his feet along the carpet, unsure of how Yami would be able to do that. “Because…I like you.”

“I like you too,” Yami responded swiftly, the words easily rolling off of his tongue.

Mokuba lifted his head up and smiled brightly at him. Good!

There was a long silence, and the water shut off in the other room.

Mokuba jumped out of Yami’s desk chair and raced to the door, exiting the room quickly.

Yami watched him go, hearing the child’s footsteps pattering across the hallway.

He laid back onto his bed, feeling his head spin terribly. He rolled over onto his stomach and tucked his hands underneath his chin, his mind racing with angry thoughts.

Unfair.  
Was there nothing else he could do to make his owner like him more?

Seto stepped out of the shower and got dressed, wondering why Yami hadn’t raced into his room to dive underneath his covers the way he usually did.

He walked over to the connecting door, hesitating for a moment before knocking twice. He waited, hearing no movement.

Yami jerked his head up, startled to hear his owner knock on the connecting door.

“Come in…” he said, feeling his tongue swell, wondering what language he had just spoken.

Seto frowned, hearing the foreigner respond in Arabic.  
The tone didn’t sound hostile…but that could mean any number of things.

Cursing himself to study harder, he eased the door open and saw Yami sitting cross-legged on the bed, looking deeply apprehensive.

Yami grit his teeth and watched his owner move towards him, his light brown hair was still slightly damp, his blue eyes were unusually clear.

“Hey…” Seto said plainly. He knew that Yami had smelled the cologne on him, and he considered apologizing, wondering what good that would do.

Yami looked away pointedly, feeling his cheeks heating up so much that his entire body burned as Mokuba’s request filtered through his consciousness.

_“Can you make him like you more?”_

To make his owner like him more…that would just include more touching, right?

“Kiss,” Yami demanded, narrowing his eyes at his owner.

“I’m going to sit,” Seto said carefully, easing himself down beside Yami and watching the foreigner tuck his legs beneath his body in a formal sitting position, gripping his knees while glaring at him ferociously.

“You’re angry at me,” Seto said dryly, seeing Yami tense further and nod quickly, once. “Why?”

 _Why else?_ Yami raged privately, feeling his eyeballs burn as he glared at his owner’s terribly handsome face.

He saw his owner lean in towards him and he bit his tongue painfully as their lips met.

Seto blinked and leaned away, feeling a thick, hostile aura emanating from Yami, and he was really beginning to wonder if he should explain himself.  
  
Yami was acting like a scornful girlfriend.

Sighing, he moved over to the desk and scanned the surface for a stray paper he could use to write on. He spotted a stack of magazines on Yami’s desk, seeing a familiar edition buried in the pile.

Isono…was giving Yami new reading material, which was fine, but did it have to have his face on it?

Yami felt fear shoot through him as he saw his owner stare at the magazines on his desk and he shook his head frantically, patting the spot beside him loudly.

“Seto…!”

“What,” Seto answered dryly, reaching into the drawer for a pen.

 _No…no!_ Yami thought frantically.

His owner had his hand resting on the drawer where he kept the spare coins he had collected from the laundry, his owner’s pin, and a small paper-cutting knife that he had found during his house-cleaning with the manservant.

“Kiss,” Yami insisted, pointing at the spot beside him on the bed.

Seto hesitated for a moment before moving back towards the bed, sitting down softly on the edge.

Yami inched forwards and threw his arms around Seto’s neck before repeating himself. “Kiss.”

Seto nodded and pressed his lips warmly over Yami’s, holding his breath, as he felt Yami press harder into him and slip his tongue forcefully into his mouth. He bit down on it irritably, hearing Yami hiss and the arms around his neck tightened.

Yami felt his tongue itch and swell as Seto’s teeth clamped down around it’s tip, and he pulled back breathlessly, wondering how he could communicate that he was angry without having his owner open any drawers in his desk.  
Maybe they ought to go back into his owner’s room.

Seto swallowed tightly, feeling his boner straining in his pants, seeing Yami glare furiously at him.

“Relax,” he said softly, giving Yami’s thigh a warm squeeze, sliding his palm slowly up the curve of his slender hip. “It didn’t mean anything…really.”

Yami shook his head, not understanding a word. He pointed into his owner’s room, watching his owner nod slowly and stand, causing his hands to slip from around his shoulders.

He followed his owner into the other room and climbed into the large bed, shoving his feet beneath the covers and watching his owner circle the bed to sit down at his desk.

Irritated, Yami pointed at the spot beside him. “Kiss.”

Seto grit his teeth and shook his head and pointed at the television. He switched it on with ease before flipping his laptop open and focusing on self-studying Arabic before turning in for the night.

He knew Yami was angry with him, and it was never fun to kiss an angry person.

He would wait until Yami calmed down.

Sighing, Yami flopped back into the plush pillows, watching the stitched puppets dance across the screen. He eyed his owner warily between commercial breaks, seeing him with his head bent down over his desk, working diligently.

“Seto…” Yami said carefully, crawling across the bed and laying on his stomach, frowning at the way his owner’s pen dipped and tapped across the paper. The motions looked oddly familiar, so he  slid off the bed, edging his way towards the desk, biting back a surprised gasp when he saw paragraph after paragraph of words lining the page…in his language.

Yami craned his neck further, catching a glimpse of a few lines.

 _“A few miles from here, there is a store. I hoped they would’ve had oranges, but….”_  
  
past tense: hoped  
present tense: hope

_I am highly disinterested in conversations about the weather. Today, when…”_

Shaking with disbelief, Yami spoke, carefully choosing his words, as he knew his owner could probably understand him.

 _“Hey…come to bed you stupid oaf…”_ he said, biting back a laugh, and to his surprise, his owner responded just as swiftly.  
  
_“Shut up.”_

Folding his arms, Yami wondered why his owner was trying so hard to learn his language. Wasn’t the barrier preferable?

“Kiss,” Yami demanded, leaning his hip against the desk. His owner lifted his head and nodded, tapping his bottom lip with his pen before ducking his head back down to continue writing.  

Yami moved to stand right beside Seto, and he leaned his face forwards, watching his owner lift his head to kiss him, and Yami froze, feeling a wonderful, warm, tingling sensation as their lips met.

Seto pulled away and glanced back down at the sentences he had been constructing, feeling Yami’s arm curling around his shoulders.

“Again,” Yami said numbly, eyeing the strange poem his owner had written.

 _“Tim and Mary are tall._  
They are rich and we are poor.  
This is easy, this is hard.  
We are all happy, or are we?

 _Noun: Tim, Mary_  
Pronoun: We, all, this  
Adjective: rich, poor, easy, happy”

 _“They,”_ Yami said carelessly. He absently pressed his palm into Seto’s chest, enjoying the way the curves of his muscles felt through his clothes.

Seto blinked, feeling a surge of intrigue as he nodded and circled the word, trying to ignore the goosebumps rising along his arms as Yami shamelessly groped his pectorals. Could…he stop?

Yami trailed his hand down his owner’s side before resting lightly on his leg, which tensed powerfully beneath his touch. Smirking, he dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Seto’s waist, nuzzling his nose into his owner’s side, no longer angry. He just wanted to be warm…and in bed.

He stared at the bulge straining at the zipper of his owner’s pants and ran his palm over it playfully, glancing up for a reaction but receiving nothing.

“ _Seto…_ ” Yami said miserably, poking his finger into the zipper, _“I’m going to pull this down, if you don’t come with me now.”_

Seto ran his tongue along the undersides of his teeth, only understanding half of what Yami had said.

_“I’m going to pull this down....”_

Yami bit his lip nervously and tugged the zipper down, slipping his fingers into Seto’s pants and giving his dick a gentle squeeze, seeing desperate hands unbuckle the belt above it and he smirked triumphantly to himself, wondering if he could put it in his mouth.

“Get under the desk,” Seto said hollowly, pointing at the space between his legs.  
To his extreme satisfaction, Yami nodded and slid underneath him with ease, leaning his chin on the bottom edge of his seat, gazing up at him mischievously with round, violet eyes, his nose inches away from his erection.

Yami reached forwards and flattened his palm across Seto’s erection, rubbing roughly, knowing it felt good, and he watched as his owner leaned back into his seat and shut his eyes softly, his chest heaving.

 _Ah, you want me to do this…even though you just had a woman do it for you earlier today?_ Yami thought spitefully, giving Seto’s dick a tight squeeze through his underwear.

Seto let out a soft sigh, losing himself in the feeling of Yami’s warm hand moving up and down along his clothed crotch. Fuck…yes. More of that.

Suddenly, the hand vanished, and Seto glanced down frantically, seeing Yami glaring up at him with a single finger resting on his shaft.

“What?” Seto asked, his heart thundering in his chest, as he felt the heated sensations fade and vanish, morphing into a cold clench settling at the base of his cock. “Keep going…please.”

Yami blinked, wondering why he was so amazed to hear his owner say ‘please’.  
  
_“No,”_ Yami replied angrily, not bothering to speak in Japanese, knowing his owner could use the Arabic dictionary on the desk above him. _“You had a woman today. I don’t have to do this for you.”_

Seto felt the room tilt around him as he processed the foreign syllables dropping from Yami’s lips.  
  
So, Yami thought he had “had a woman?!”  
Clever, but not quite right. 

Seto picked up his pen and hastily scribble down a sentence, feeling odd as he placed it between his legs, seeing Yami’s eyes darting across the page.

Yami felt his heart skip a beat as he glanced over his owner’s thin handwriting.

_“I was assaulted by a man, right in my office. It was humiliating to say the least.”_

_A man?!_ _Assault?_ Yami reeled. It was getting harder to breathe.  
His owner also fielded advances from men too! Where did it end?

 _“Because you are handsome,”_ Yami said matter-of-factly, seeing his owner frown and shake his head.

Seto lifted the sheet of paper back onto the desk, and Yami could hear the pen scratching across the surface above his head.

The paper reappeared under his nose again and Yami read:

 _“No. I brought it onto myself. Humored him too much._  
  
_Now suck me. I want to see my cum dripping down your beautiful face.”_

Yami drew in a sharp breath, amazed at the sudden change in tone.  
But…he had to know one thing first.

 _“How did he touch you?”_ Yami asked heatedly, wondering why he cared so much.

Seto paused and shook his head, bringing a hand to cup Yami’s cheek, feeling his palm heat up instantly. “Don’t fucking worry about it,” he answered, knowing Yami probably couldn’t understand him.

 _Fine_ , Yami thought, disgruntled. He slipped his fingers in through the rim of his owner’s underwear and gave it a forceful yank, pleased to see a thick penis emerge before him.

His owner’s hand came snaking around the back of his head and pushed him forwards. Yami parted his mouth, feeling Seto’s thickness slide warmly past his lips, and a hot, musk of his owner’s scent filled his nostrils. Before he had time to prepare himself, his owner was bucking into his mouth with deep, feverish thrusts,

Letting out a soft huff of air, Yami felt his head spin mightily as his own dick throbbed in his pants and he reached a hand down to press his palm against his erection. He rolled his tongue thickly underneath Seto’s shaft, enjoying the way the girth slid over his teeth again and again.

Seto shut his eyes and leaned his head back, enjoying each heated thread of pleasure which shot up through his body every time Yami flicked his tongue into his slit.  
  
A low, curling bubble of heat was building at the base of his chest and landed solidly into his groin, making him grit his teeth. He was going to cum.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Mokuba’s head poked in through the door.

Seto immediately jerked his head forwards, accidentally shoving his tip right into the back of Yami’s throat, and Yami bit back a cry, his eyes watering heavily as he heard Mokuba’s voice in the room.

“Seto…could you tuck me in?” Mokuba yawned, seeing his brother leaned forwards oddly against his desk. “Are you okay?”

“Get…out,” Seto managed, feeling Yami’s teeth grazing over the bottom of his dick and he clenched powerfully, his stomach swooping down to his feet.

“Fine,” Mokuba grumbled, shutting the door with a click, and Yami continued sucking with renewed vigor, thoroughly enjoying himself, feeling his owner’s hand tighten almost painfully in his hair.

“Enough. That’s enough,” Seto said roughly, grabbing Yami lightly by the wrist and seeing Yami shake his head before attempting to bury his head deeper between his legs.

Yami opened his mouth wider and his jaw stretched wonderfully as he took Seto’s shaft deeper into his mouth, feeling his owner push the chair back suddenly and yank him to his feet.

Dizzy and breathless, he let Seto drag him to the edge of the bed and toss him onto the comforter. His head spun as he landed softly between the pillows and his owner appeared above him, his blue-eyes slightly wide and his chest heaving with desperate pants.

Yami felt himself smile and warm lips moved across the tip of his tongue while heated hands traveled down between his legs and gave his throbbing, neglected member a long, hard stroke through the fabric of his pants. He arched his back, bucking his hips up higher into his owner’s touch, enjoying the way Seto bit, licked and sucked his way down his neck and chest, stopping to nip playfully at one of his nipples.

Oh…everything felt hot and heavenly!

Yami propped himself up on his elbows, realizing that his pants were down around his ankles and his owner was now grinding his penis between the soft grooves of his crotch, and he felt his stomach twist deeply with arousal, seeing Seto’s dick slicking wonderfully between his balls and his inner thighs, causing warm tremors of pleasure to rush all the way down to the tips of his toes.

Seto let his breath out in a soft hiss, gazing down at the thin strands of Yami’s pubic hair, enjoying the way they felt rubbing beneath his sensitive dick, and he could feel Yami’s breathing grow heavy.

“G-Good…!” Yami managed, throwing his head back and sinking into the soft pillows behind him, no longer able to keep his eyes open.

“Good,” Seto muttered, barely able to form coherent strings of thoughts as he reached down to palm both of their members. He rubbed himself vigorously against Yami’s penis, seeing Yami’s knees jerking and trembling ecstatically with every upwards stroke of his hand.  

Yami was blinded with pleasure, his body shaking uncontrollably as he attempted to endure the assault from Seto’s hands roughly rubbing his cock, and he shuddered violently, cumming in a sudden heave, feeling his owner fall heavily over him, his breathing ragged and his sweet breath panning across his face.

Seto grabbed Yami’s thighs and pulled him closer, feeling his shaft pressing thickly against Yami’s body. He was holding himself back enormously, wondering briefly if Yami would let him put it in.

“Let me…in here,” Seto gasped, pausing in his motions to gently palm Yami’s balls, and sliding a finger down towards his asshole, feeling the rim clench deliciously the second the pad of his finger passed over it.

Yami tried to clear his head, which was still heavy from his rough orgasm.  
He tensed, his chest tightening as his ears began ringing terribly.  
No.  
No!  
This was how it began! First with fingers…and then…no!

“No!” Yami hissed, attempting to jerk away, seeing his owner’s face gazing intently down at his hole.

“I’ll kiss it,” Seto offered hastily, letting go of himself to grab one of Yami’s legs, draping it expertly over his shoulder and seeing his hole clench deliciously, inches from his nose.

Yami blinked wildly, trying to understand what his owner was saying.  
A k-kiss?  
Th-There?!

And before he had time to react, he felt a warm mouth engulf his entire crack, and a silky tongue swirled magnificently around his rim. The heat thudded rhythmically up against his entrance and Yami let out a soft cry, his stomach twisting with a strange mixture of anxiety and ecstasy.

Seto reached down to stroke himself, enjoying the way Yami’s heel thumped dully against his shoulder blades every time he sucked or lightly grazed his teeth against the tense ring of muscle, and his mind grew steadily blank.

The taste of Yami’s entrance was at the tip of his tongue, Yami’s legs were tightening around his body, and he was close to cumming in his own hand. This was…fucking heavenly.

Yami shivered as Seto’s tongue flicked over his hole and again, and felt himself slip, wondering what it would feel like if his owner slid the tongue inside his hole, and he cried out again, feeling Seto’s mouth sucked and bite lightly at the sensitive skin between his cheeks, the hot tongue swirling wonderfully around his rim and tapping at his entrance again, and Yami shuddered as a wave of pleasure racked his body, causing his toes to curl.  
  
The nameless boy didn’t specify…how clean his hole had to be.

Mouth…and fingers ought to be fine…as long as it wasn’t a dick…right?!

“I-Inside…!” Yami struggled to speak. He was seeing spots in his vision and he could feel the bed shaking beneath him from the force of his owner’s strokes.

In his haze of lust, Seto barely registered that Yami had spoken, and he thrust his tongue heavily into Yami’s hole. He felt Yami twisting and writhing happily beneath him, and he stroked himself faster, feeling an orgasm building deep in his core.

Yami let out an ecstatic yell as Seto’s heated tongue slid warmly inside of him and began slipping in and out of him violently, without showing any signs of stopping, and he grabbed the pillows from around his head, pressing them firmly into his face as he let out an excited yell, feeling his throat grow hoarse.  
  
His owner seemed to understand, and the tongue slid deeper and swirled repeatedly inside of him, wrenching another orgasm from his body as the burning heat slid out of his hole and his owner continued sucking powerfully around his rim.  
He was lowered suddenly, and a thick rush of hot fluids splashed across his inner thighs and dripped wetly down his balls.

Gasping for breath, Yami lifted his head with an enormous effort, seeing his owner bent forwards, his slender hand still wrapped around his dick while his blue gaze was fixed intently on the liquid dripping down past his hole.  

“S-Seto…” Yami said weakly, seeing his owner gently palm his balls again and he felt a finger sliding thinly into his hole, and he clenched, feeling his owner’s fluids gathering around his rim.

Seto grinned and thrust his finger into Yami, enjoying the way his semen slicked over his knuckles and disappeared into Yami’s ass, watching Yami fall back into the pillows again, his legs jerking and twitching with an effort to contain his ecstasy.

“It feels good?” Seto asked knowingly, watching Yami’s chest and stomach heave and clench at different intervals, feeling slightly envious.

Yami opened his mouth to speak, but a strange cry escaped his lips instead as his owner’s finger began thrusting and twisting inside him, filling him deeply with a wonderful feeling, and the raw scent of semen was so sweet, every breath he took was drenched in that sweetness too.

“G-Good…s-stop…!” Yami cried, feeling his leg sliding off Seto’s shoulder and falling heavily onto the mattress. He brought his knees together and shuddered pleasurably as Seto slowly extracted his finger and brought it to his lips.

Yami struggled to sit up, his vision blurring heavily as he saw his owner lick his finger. He let out a horrified yell, lunging forward to grab Seto’s wrist, prying his hand away from his face, his mind scrambling for some of the Japanese words he had memorized, “Don’t…do that! It’s fucking dirty!”

His owner grinned boyishly at him and tapped his lips. “Kiss.”

Yami jutted forward and pressed his mouth roughly across Seto’s lips, feeling the air leaving his lungs as his owner embraced him tightly and pulled him deeper into the kiss. When he was released, Yami sat back weakly against the pillows, his heart still thundering in his chest, as he stared at the stains splashed across the hem of his owner’s dark shirt.

He felt warm and content and considered closing his eyes, but he remembered how angry Seto had been with him earlier, so he forced himself to keep them open.

Seto pointed at the bathroom, “Wash up.”

Yami shook his head weakly and shut his eyes, “No…”

“Yes,” Seto hissed, wrapping his hand around Yami’s shoulder, seeing the boy give his head a weak shake again, a small playful smile curving at the corners of his lips.

“I’m not fucking playing with you, Yami. Get in the shower,” He said quickly, hearing Yami speak again.  
  
“…Kiss.”

He leaned down and pressed his lips warmly across Yami’s cheek, and Yami’s arms fell loosely around his shoulders. Seto grit his teeth and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Fine. He would be carried.

He stuck his arms underneath Yami’s slender frame and heard him gasp, and the arms tightening around his neck.

“Put it down!” Yami growled, his chest swirling with a strange feeling as his owner carried him strongly into the bathroom and set him down on his feet by the shower head.

“Put _me_ down,” Seto hissed in response, switching the water on and sliding the glass door shut with an echoing clang, barely registering the astonished look painted across Yami’s face.

* * *

**Author’s note:**

**> >>Animaniac1017<<<** is the light of my life. Thank you for your consistent edits!!!

 **At reader: EgyptianSapphire** OMG I DID MISS YOU KAJGKJASGKAJGD thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and comment!!! (hugs!!)

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EEEeeee LOVE YOUuuUUu!!!

-Ugli


	17. I just want to feel love

The days and weeks passed by in a blur.

Yami found himself being woken up in the mornings by Isono, with the bed empty, and his owner nowhere to be seen.

Every day, the glass panel on his desk would read 7:05 AM while he sat on the floor by the low table and ate his breakfast, which he occasionally prepared for himself.

Every other day, Miss. Ao would come by and teach him several chapters before leaving. In the days following her lessons, Yami would dedicate several hours to revising what he had learned, before rising from his desk to follow Isono around the house, completing household chores and preparing a variety of dishes.

As the weeks turned into months, Yami managed to master elementary Japanese, and Miss Ao was replaced by another female tutor.  
She was less friendly, insisting he address her as “Yana-san,” and together, they tackled the Kanji textbook for five hours a day.  
  
Time passed quickly this way.

Every night, his owner would return, sometimes later in the evenings, sometimes earlier, and they would lay together in the large bed while watching the show with the stitched puppets.

It got to a point where Yami could understand entire episodes without missing a beat.

Some nights, Yami would feel unusually hot beneath the covers, and he’d wake up to see his owner tossing and turning beside him.  
  
On several occasions, he felt Seto bolt upright beside him, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat, his eyes wide, his body cold.

“What’s wrong?” Yami remembered asking, but his owner had ignored him, throwing the covers off himself and marching into the bathroom. The water began running and Yami had laid back down, staring up at the high ceiling, wondering what was causing Seto’s night terrors.

Yami had also noticed that Seto never slept regularly. He would sit at his desk the moment he got back from work, and in the morning, walk into the bathroom for a shower before getting dressed to leave again.

 _He never sleeps!_ Yami had thought to himself, horrified.  
So he began paying closer attention to his owner’s sleeping patterns, watching Seto lay awake beside him even as late as 4AM.  
Isono would sometimes enter, carrying a tray with tea or water.

One night, Yami decided he had had enough, so he wrapped himself around Seto’s body and laid his head on his chest, hearing a strong heartbeat thudding loudly beneath his ear.

“Sleep,” he commanded, feeling Seto tense beneath him and nod stiffly. He knew his owner was tired, but for some reason, sleeping always brought night terrors.  
  
They had stayed that way for a long while before Yami felt Seto begin to relax beneath him and his breathing evened out.  
  
And the next night, he had done the same thing, laying his head across Seto’s chest, feeling his head spin as the warm, sweet scent engulfed him, lulling them both to sleep.  
  
It wasn’t long before it became a ritual.  
Seto would switch the TV off after some time, climb into bed, and Yami would dutifully lay his head down across his chest with a soft smile.    
  
But, something between them had changed since the night his owner had pressed a finger into his hole, and Yami was growing increasingly more nervous as the weeks went by.  
  
His owner had stopped touching him.

His owner would turn the screen to roll over onto his side, and be asleep in minutes. Other nights, his owner would be staring at his mobile tablet before setting it aside on the nightstand, turning over, and falling asleep, pointedly ignoring him.

Yami had tried to initiate several times.

He had tried slipping his feet between his owner’s legs, only to be kicked away with an annoyed hiss.  
He had tried wrapping his arms around Seto’s waist, and had felt himself being pried off with excessive force.  
He had tried asking verbally, expanding his vocabulary to include phrases like _“Please come here,”_ and _“I want to be touched,”_ but was ignored on all counts.

Feeling deeply neglected, Yami would touch himself in the shower before climbing into bed with Seto, knowing his every advance would be coldly rejected.

He was beginning to think that maybe his owner only wanted him as a bed-warmer, and nothing else, because sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night with Seto’s arms draped warmly across his chest, and other times, his owner’s head would be tucked into his shoulder, his light breaths tickling his ear.

One day, Yami stepped outside with the bush-trimming shears and realized the ground was covered with yellow leaves.

 _Winter is coming!_ Yami realized, as he shivered slightly from the wind, and he wondered if there would be snow.

He set the shears down and headed back into the house to grab a jacket, reminding himself to ask Mokuba if it snowed in Japan.

* * *

Seto heard a soft knock at his office door, and his secretary walked in purposefully, her heels clicking across the stone tiles.

“What do you want,” Seto asked dryly, not bothering to glance up from his screen.

“Remember your harasser?” She asked lightly, and Seto froze, his fingers hovering over his keyboard, and his heart pounding in his ears.  
Yeah. Of course he fucking did.  
Shige…Taka-whatever-his-last-name was.

“You didn’t fire him…” she said lightly, handing him a plain white envelope, “And he sent this up to you as thanks. His father is on the board.”

“Really,” Seto asked, jerking his head up to glance at the envelope, suddenly interested. So, Shige-san’s father was on his board of directors?  
Then…he had made the right call not to fire the man.

“Open it!” She said happily, waving the envelope excitedly. “It’s probably a bonus check!”

 _Doubtful,_ Seto thought spitefully, taking the envelope out of her hands and slipping his fingers into the top, pulling out two, pink slips.  
  
It was tickets…for a five-day corporate event on a cruise ship.  
No fucking thanks.

“Fuck,” Seto hissed, glaring at the tickets, wondering how he could worm his way out of it. There were two, so he was expected to bring a guest.

“Do you want to come with me?” Seto asked roughly, seeing his secretary shake her head vehemently.

“No thank you,” she replied, making a dramatic X-motion with her arms across her chest, “You dragged me to one of those at a ballroom last year, and I hated it. Even if I was with you, Mr. Kaiba,” She added kindly, ducking her head down shyly, and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “But in case you’ve forgotten, I’ve been seeing this foreigner--”

“Yeah yeah,” Seto said irritably, wondering if he could pick up the phone to yell at a board member about being blindly sent to another event.

“Take Mokuba,” she suggested lightly, and Seto shook his head roughly, knowing Mokuba would hate it equally as much, if not more.  
He couldn’t do that to his little brother.  
Bringing a possible successor of Kaiba Corp to one of these events was like throwing a juicy bait into a tank of sharks.

“I’ll figure something out,” Seto growled, resisting the urge to glare at his secretary. “Leave.”

“Leaving!” She sang, flowing to the door and calling over her shoulder, “I have another date tonight! See you…!”

Hissing in annoyance, Seto stood and slammed his laptop shut, shoving it roughly into his briefcase while wondering how Yami would react to the invitation.

* * *

Yami stepped out of the shower, and saw Mokuba sitting on the couch in his room, swinging his legs absently.

“Mokuba,” he nodded enthusiastically, rubbing the towel across his damp bangs, “what do you need?”

“Play with me,” Mokuba demanded, pointing at the door and making a game-controller motion with his hands and fingers. “You didn’t play with me yesterday, or the day before! All you did was study!”

Yami sighed and nodded. He tossed the towel across the back of his chair and followed Mokuba into his room, hearing the front door of the mansion open and close.

“Seto!” Mokuba cried, immediately distracted, rushing down the stairs and into his brother’s arms, giving him a tight hug. “You’re back early today!”

“I am,” Seto replied hollowly, feeling Isono approach him from behind to pick his briefcase up off the floor.

Yami hovered at the top of the stairs, watching his owner gently cup Mokuba’s face, speaking softly. “Hey, I got invited to one of those stupid…parties. Did you want to come with me this time? You don’t even have to leave the room.”

 _What stupid parties?_ Yami wondered fervently, clenching his fists at his sides.  
He hadn’t understood one word in the entire sentence, and it was bothering him.

And clearly, he wasn’t going to be taken along, because his owner had asked Mokuba first.

Mokuba shook his head frantically, leaning out of his brother’s grasp. “No way, Seto! No freaking way! You said I didn’t have to go with you until I turned 18! And even then, I see the way you act when you come back from those. You got a….!”

Yami frowned, discovering that there was a lot more to this conversation that he couldn’t understand.

His owner wanted to take Mokuba to a party, but Mokuba refused, saying he wasn’t of age.  
But that didn’t mean the party had an age restriction.  
And his owner thought the party was going to be stupid.

 _I want to go,_ Yami thought furiously, wondering if he should speak.

“Take Yami,” Mokuba said hurriedly, pulling his brother up the staircase. “You want to go, right Yami?”

Yami felt his owner’s eyes on him and he kept his gaze focused on Mokuba’s round face, frowning before slowly shaking his head, and then nodding.  
  
In the presence of his owner, Yami had been pretending like he still couldn’t understand half of what was being said, and now wasn’t going to be any different.

Seto sighed and motioned for Yami to follow him into his room.

Yami nodded, seeing Mokuba rush back into his room and slam the door loudly.

Deeply intrigued, he entered his owner’s room, and saw him bent over his desk, furiously writing something down on a sheet of paper with the Arabic dictionary open in front of him.

Seto swept the paper off his desk and handed it to Yami, watching him accept it with both hands, looking more somber than usual.

Yami glanced at the paper and his heart began to race as he read what his owner had written.

_“I’ve been forcefully invited to attend a business party on a luxury ship. Come with me?”_

_A luxury ship!_ Yami thought excitedly, but wondered why Mokuba wasn’t excited about it, and why his owner thought the party was “stupid?”

Yami watched Seto set two shiny pink slips of paper on the desk and he caught the kanji for “ship” written in bold across the top.  
So, it was true!

“Yes!” Yami replied, nodding enthusiastically. He moved to sit at the edge of the bed, patting the comforter with a soft _pof!_ “Sit…!”

Seto sighed and nodded in response, slowly undoing the knot in his tie, feeling Yami’s eyes watching his every movement, causing his skin to burn.

Damn.  
He thought he had done well in the past few months, by completely avoiding sexual contact with Yami, and it had begun to take a disastrous toll on him.  
  
Every time Yami made eye contact with him for longer than three seconds, he had to look away.

Every time Yami spoke to him, climbed in his bed, smiled at him, or casually walked by him in the house, it made his heart race and his palms sweat.  
  
It made him stick harder to his resolve of not touching Yami while in bed, but that was growing harder and harder to accomplish as Yami managed to learn encouraging phrases like _“come here,”_ and _“touch me.”_

He had been getting the best sleep of his life, enjoying Yami’s warmth beside him every night. It was consistent and comforting, something he wasn’t accustomed to, and he was growing to like the consistency very much.

Seto sat carefully on the edge of his own bed, feeling Yami wrap his arms around his waist and press his cheek warmly against his shoulder.

“Thank you,” Yami said simply, wondering if his owner would consider kissing him. His lips were itching for that warm feeling, but every time he had asked, he had been denied.

“You might hate it, just a warning,” Seto said emptily, staring intensely at the spiky blonde bangs which framed Yami’s delicate cheeks, and he ached to press his lips against that soft skin.  
He held himself back enormously.  
  
If he kept advancing on Yami, Seto knew he wouldn’t be able to stop, even if Yami asked him to stop.

 _I won’t,_ Yami responded in his mind, thinking he hadn’t been out of the house in weeks. The last time he had gone out was with Isono, and they had traveled by car, surrounded by guards while they picked out groceries for the week.

“It’ll be for five days, so pack a bag first thing tomorrow. We’re boarding in the afternoon,” Seto said tiredly, loosening the top button of his collar, seeing Yami’s eyes follow his hands.

“Kiss,” Yami said firmly, feeling his chest tighten uncomfortably when he saw Seto shake his head.

“Now!” Yami demanded, resting a hand on his owner’s knee and gripping so hard the fabric wrinkled. He would pin Seto down and force him into a kiss if he didn’t agree.  
Why didn’t his owner want to kiss or touch him?  
Was he dirty?  
Filthy?  
Ugly?  
Or had he suddenly become undesirable in some way?

Seto grit his teeth and felt his stomach clench so violently with arousal that it made him dizzy.

“No,” he said shakily, moving to stand and feeling Yami forcefully press down across his knees.

“I like you,” Yami said seriously, feeling his desperation rising.  
Fine.  
He would speak, but only in short phrases that didn’t show any depth of understanding. “Do you hate me? Let’s kiss.”

Seto sank back down onto the mattress, feeling himself tremble with an effort to restrain himself. “No, I don’t…hate you. I need a shower.”

“A kiss…! A kiss!” Yami insisted, losing his patience. He moved quickly, straddling his owner’s thighs and pushing Seto down onto the mattress by the shoulders.

Yami’s heart skipped a beat as he stared down into Seto’s handsome face, enjoying the way his light brown hair fell away from his sharp cheekbones, and he gripped Seto’s shoulders tighter and pushing him further down into the mattress, knowing he was stronger now than he had been when he’d first arrived in the house.  
  
Lifting the heavy vacuum around the large house, coupled with rigorous sweeping, constant grocery-bag carrying, and bush-trimming had strengthened his arms and legs.  
In addition to all of that, he had been frequently eating fish and meats.

Seto blinked rapidly and did nothing, feeling Yami’s weight sitting wonderfully against his boner and he swallowed tensely, gazing up into Yami’s determined face, wondering if he should struggle harder.

He had been hoping and waiting…waiting for Yami to jump him.  
And now, finally, it seemed like his patience was being rewarded.

“Right, you’ve got me.” Seto said sarcastically, giving Yami’s calf a firm pat. “Now, get—”

Yami kissed him furiously, his sweet breath engulfing him fully, and Seto tensed happily, running his palms flat against Yami’s calf which was pinned up against his side and he smiled into the kiss, feeling Yami grind down roughly against him, breathless and desperate.

“Touch me,” Yami growled, pressing his forehead firmly against Seto’s, feeling their hair mesh together almost painfully against his skin, “Or do you hate me that much?”

Seto blinked, his lust-filled mind clearing in an instant, realizing Yami had just said the most coherent sentence he’d ever heard.  
He nodded stiffly, feeling his head spin wonderfully as he inched his palm up Yami’s slender leg, giving the tense muscles a warm squeeze, thinking that Yami had grown more muscular in the past few months.  
Had he been running laps around the property while he was at work?

“You—” And Seto was cut off again.

Yami saw Seto’s lips move and he attacked them with his own, nibbling and biting down teasingly, flicking his tongue through the fronts of Seto’s teeth, feeling his owner let out a huff of air, and cold hands roughly slid all the way up the side of his body to cup his face, pulling him in closer, deeper, and their tongues swirled together heatedly at the tips in a desperate bit for more contact.

Sweet. Everything about Yami tasted sweet, and Seto could feel himself falling deeper down into the mattress as Yami’s weight pressed erotically into him from above, and he gave Yami’s thigh a sensual rub, feeling Yami’s hands roam over his chest and abdomen to rest against his groin, groping him excitedly.  
God…fuck.  
No.  
No sex on the bed.

Yami slipped his tongue thickly into his owner’s mouth, relishing in the strangely bitter taste of the drink his owner often consumed. Coffee.  
He slipped a hand through Seto’s soft hair and grabbed a fistful, jerking his head back forcefully so he could trail a series of open-mouthed kisses down his neck, biting down roughly against his owner’s Adam’s apple, feeling his owner shiver delightfully beneath him.

 _So, he likes it…but still insists on avoiding me,_ Yami thought darkly, his mind hazy with lewd thoughts of his dick shoved into his owner’s mouth while he straddled his face.  
He wanted to do that again.  
He had a better grasp on the Japanese language now.  
He could understand just about everything Seto was saying.  
There ought to be no misunderstandings now.

“Let me…put it in,” Yami said clumsily, wondering if he ought to say where.  
  
His owner’s fingers were gently pinching his nipples, and the heated sensations were making it hard for him to think or breathe.

Seto held his breath, wondering if he had heard correctly. What?  
Yami wanted to put…what…in where?  
Either way, the answer was no.

“No,” Seto said feeling his legs going numb as he briefly entertained the thought of Yami fucking him.  
It would probably feel amazing.  
In fact, they weren’t too far off from it…Yami was already sitting stubbornly on top of him, grinding furiously against his erection.

“Yes,” Yami hissed, tightening his grip around Seto’s shoulders, leaning down for another kiss, feeling his owner bite his lip and suck lightly on the tip of his tongue. He shivered happily and pressed himself harder against his owner’s muscular frame, wishing he could feel more…do more…of anything, and everything. He wanted to be naked, he wanted their legs to be intertwined, and he wanted their skin to touch.

Yami shuddered pleasurably at the thought and grabbed at the buttons of Seto’s stiff shirt, attempting to undress him.

Seto seized this chance to push Yami off.  
Yami cried out angrily and lunged at him, but he was faster.  
He hastily edged away from the bed, backing away into the bathroom while Yami glared daggers at him from the bed, looking torn and disheveled.

He slammed the door and leaned against it heavily, forcing himself to calm down, the thunderous pounding of his own heartbeat echoing in his ears as he heard Yami shout his name angrily through the door.

_“Seto!”_

And a loud, furious knocking followed, echoing loudly through the spacious bathroom.

Gritting his teeth, Seto tossed his tie aside and got undressed, ignoring his boner as he stepped into the shower and switched the water on.

Yami leaned angrily against the bathroom door, wondering why his owner had run away. He had clearly…wanted it! Why?! Why was he restraining himself? There was a visible bulge in his pants!

Yami slid to the floor, feeling his ass hit the carpet as he realized, there had _always_ been a bulge in Seto’s pants!

In the mornings, he would catch glimpses of his owner getting dressed, and he would stare shamelessly at the bulge sitting just beneath the wide, silver buckle.

In the evenings, his owner would keep his legs tightly crossed and facing away from him…hiding his bulge.

 _Why?!_ Yami thought angrily.  
He heard a soft knock at the door and Isono bowed into the room, looking anxious.

“Is everything okay?” Isono asked hurriedly. He had heard a door slam, and shouting.

Yami nodded mutely and stood while pointing at the TV. “Where is the remote? I want to hide it.”

“Why?” Isono asked, frowning deeply. That was a strange request.

“Because,” Yami replied furiously, “He keeps watching the screen and ignoring me. Where is it? Give it me! I know it’s in the drawers!”

Isono nodded knowingly, moving towards Master Kaiba’s desk.  
If Yami wanted attention from Kaiba, turning off the TV wouldn’t change a thing.

If Master Kaiba wanted to ignore, he would do so with vicious determination.

He pressed his finger into the scanner, seeing Yami hover in front of him, with his arms firmly crossed, speaking angrily again, “How do you do that? How do you open it with no key?”

“It’s a fingerprint scanner,” Isono replied quietly, setting the remote on the desk. “You know, he can access the television from his phone too, so hiding this won’t accomplish much.”

“I don’t care,” Yami responded viciously, snatching up the remote. “I will find a way to hide that too.” And he stormed back into his room, shoving the remote into his own desk drawer, missing the amused smile curving across Isono’s mouth.

Yami furiously sat down at his desk, snatching up his pen, hastily writing his thoughts. He had memorized a great deal of characters thanks to the extended lesson hours with Miss Ao, so he only needed to refer to his dictionary for several words.

He heard Seto exit the bathroom and he stood hastily, rushing over into the other room. His owner whirled around to glare at him in surprise, clutching the damp towel around his waist.

 _Oh stop being so modest_ , Yami thought, angrily shoving the paper at Seto, _I’ve seen it all already!_

Seto took the letter and flipped it open, feeling as if his heart was about to explode out of his chest. Could Yami stop sneaking up on him like that?

He scanned the letter, pleased to see that Yami’s writing had improved greatly, then frowned, thinking Yami sounded more coherent on paper…but he still spoke in broken phrases.

_“Seto,_

_I’ve been counting the days, even though you probably haven’t. It’s been nearly three months since we last touched. It’s been four since I’ve arrived in your house._  
  
_If you’re angry about something, just yell about it._  
  
_I’m irritated with your behavior towards me.”_

 _Oh, I’ve been counting_ , Seto thought privately, letting Yami snatch the paper out of his hands. He slowly got dressed, feeling Yami’s eyes on him as he dropped his towel and reached for his underwear.

Yami gripped the letter so tightly, he felt the edges dig into his fist, staring at the smooth curves of his owner’s toned thighs.  
Seto had just read the letter and continued to ignore him.

Yami crumpled the letter and tossed it onto the floor, grabbing Seto by the hand and leading him forcefully over to the bed.  
He had had enough.  
He knew Seto wanted it, and he was itching to be touched.  
It didn’t matter what his owner’s stupid reason was.

Seto tried resisting lightly, yanking his hand back, feeling Yami’s grip tighten over his hand and nails dug painfully into the back of his hand as they approached the edge of the bed.

“Sit,” Yami commanded, easing himself down onto the comforter, attempting to pull Seto onto the bed, feeling his owner stiffen and stand up straighter, his bulge clearly visible through the thin fabric of his underwear.

“I’ll put you…here,” Yami said encouragingly, tapping his lips, staring intently at Seto’s boner, feeling his tongue itch. He gave Seto’s arm a solid yank, and his owner fell elbows-first onto the mattress, and Yami seized this chance to throw his arms around Seto’s shoulders, clinging on to him tightly, feeling his own boner throbbing and aching in his pants.

“Please?” Yami asked weakly, feeling his owner tense in his arms. He bit down across the shell of Seto’s ear, feeling Seto slowly ease up onto the bed and fall heavily on top of him.

Breathless, Yami laid back excitedly, staring up into his owner’s handsome face, taking in the way his light brown hair fell away from his face, and he locked his arms firmly around Seto’s neck. “Kiss.”

Seto blinked slowly, staring deeply into Yami’s angular violet eyes, his heart swelling with excitement. This was a good sign.  
Yami was asking for it on his own accord.  
This meant, he could go as far as he wanted, without stopping.

He leaned down and captured Yami’s lips in his own, feeling Yami part his lips and respond eagerly with tongue and teeth, bucking his hips upwards, and Seto ground down heavily in response, enjoying the thick threads of pleasure traveling up from his crotch and settling heatedly in his chest. He broke away from the kiss to dip his tongue into the soft curves of Yami’s collarbone, seeing him throw his head back and smile.

Seto palmed Yami’s boner and gave him a slow, sensual rub, hearing Yami let out a low laugh and squirm delightfully, arching up into his touch. He buried his nose into the base of Yami’s spiky blonde bangs and inhaled deeply, thoroughly enjoying his exotic scent.  
He would never tire of Yami’s scent.  
It made him feel incredibly warm and aroused every time.  
  
Yami was so happy, he couldn’t properly breathe or think, enjoying the way Seto was warmly massaging his stiffness while a hot breath traveled down his neck and stopped at the collar of his shirt.

“I’ll take…it off,” Yami managed, struggling to reach the hem of his shirt, just as he heard a soft knock sounding at the door.

Seto froze and grit his teeth.  
This was exactly what he had been dreading.  
  
They would be interrupted every hour, by Mokuba, or Isono, or a bird would kill itself by flying into one of his windows.  
_Something,_ or someone would always interrupt them in the heat of passion.  
It was literally impossible to have quiet, impromptu sex in a house full of people!

“What!” Seto shouted hoarsely, seeing his door beginning to creak open, and Yami’s eyes widened in panic. “Mokuba, don’t come in here!”

Yami laid back into the bed, throwing an arm over his eyes, his chest heaving with desperation, feeling his owner’s hardness pressing into his stomach.  
  
He had wanted this…so badly…and every time… _every damn time_ , the damn servant or the damn child would come walking in.  
Why?! Why was this so hard?!  
  
It suddenly dawned on Yami that Seto had probably been holding back for the same reason.

Mokuba’s room was down the hall, and even though the house was large, the walls were thin.

Isono peeked his head in through the door and saw Kaiba without his pants on, hovering over Yami. The spiky-haired foreigner had his eyes covered with his arm, his chest rising and falling heavily, looking as if he was about to cry.  
  
“No!” He gasped, swinging the door open wider and quickly stepping into the room, shutting and locking the door behind him.

Yami’s eyes shot open as he heard the lock click.  
  
That was a sound he hadn’t heard in a while.  
What was happening?

“Get the fuck out you old man!” Seto growled, shaking, attempting to restrain his anger. He felt Yami tense underneath him and move his hand away from his face, looking extremely frustrated.

“Get off him, Master Kaiba!” Isono cried angrily, moving towards the bed with his arms outstretched, thinking he would push Kaiba off of Yami.

Kaiba hissed and eased away from Yami, and Yami propped himself up on his elbows, quickly drawing his knees to his chest, not wanting to expose his hardness to the servant. It was embarrassing enough that Isono had seen him vulnerable once.

“Look at him!” Isono said, pointing a shaking finger at Yami, who had locked his arms around his shins. “He’s terrified of you! Stop assaulting him! Where is that girl you’re always bringing over? Kanae-san? Why don’t you do these things with her?! You can’t—”

“I said…get out!” Seto shouted, his fear rising as he wondered if Yami could understand half of what Isono was saying. “And don’t fucking tell me what I can or can’t do!”  
  
He wasn’t about to have months of restraint be thrown away because Yami heard his secretary’s name fall from Isono’s stupid loud mouth.

Yami’s eyes widened as he heard an unfamiliar name, and his chest tightened with anger and jealousy.  
A woman.  
His owner’s girlfriend? The pretty lady at the front desk?  
If Seto was still sleeping with her, he had done very well to hide her perfume from his clothes.

“I’m saying—” Isono barreled forward, knowing Yami could fully understand him, “… That this needs to stop! What if she wants—”

“She got bored,” Seto seethed, grabbing Isono by the arm and shoving him towards the door, feeling his servant resist and try to pat his shoulder reassuringly.

“Make up with her!” Isono cried desperately, his feet sliding across the carpet as Kaiba dragged him across the room towards the door. “What would Mokuba think if he saw you two like this?! Yami?!”

Yami hung his head in shame, feeling his cheeks burning.

“Get the fuck…OUT!” Seto growled, unlocking the door and pushing Isono out, slamming it so hard, the sound made his ears ring.

Yami bit his tongue painfully, feeling his eyes beginning to water as he processed everything he had just heard.

Kanae-san was his owner’s girlfriend.  
_Was._  
Past tense.

Yami lifted his gaze and watched Seto palm his face heavily, and he patted the bed softly, hearing his voice shake uncharacteristically. “Sit…”

Seto let out a mirthless laugh and walked back over to the bed, taking note of Yami’s knees were still drawn to his chest in a protective stance.  
Well, fuck.  
Mood killed.

He sat down heavily against the edge, noticing that Yami’s eyes were slightly shiner than usual. He instantly recognized this look.  
This was the calm before the storm.  
Tears or shouting would soon follow if he didn’t tread carefully.

“Kanae-san?” Yami asked softly, feeling his throat closing up, threatening to choke the air out of him. It had been months, and yet he still wasn’t accustomed to hearing his owner talk about other bed partners.

“Yeah, the girl who works my front desk,” Seto responded heartlessly, not bothering to care if Yami could understand him. Nothing was more upsetting than being blue-balled by Isono.

Yami nodded, secretly pleased that he had guessed correctly, but devastated that he had guessed correctly.

“She found a new toy,” Seto continued ruthlessly, “and we were just casual sex-friends.” He paused, wondering why he was explaining himself.  
  
A new toy? Yami thought, terror-stricken, recalling her sweet smile and warm hands. A woman who collected men like toys?!  
Terrifying.

“I see,” Yami responded simply, seeing his owner stare at him strangely.

“Right,” Seto said unhappily. He stuck his legs beneath the comforter and watched as Yami followed suit, looking depressed.

Yami let his head sink back into the down pillows, feeling a headache coming on. He felt Seto roll onto his side and stare intently at him through the semi-darkness, causing his skin to tingle.

Was it too much to hope that his owner had not slept with anyone since…the last time they had touched? The only way he could find out was by asking, and he would have to speak somewhat coherently.  
Would Seto lie?

Yami turned over onto his side and blinked, staring into Seto’s face, noticing that his brow was wrinkled in a concerned frown.

“Are you angry?” Seto asked softly, reaching forwards to tug gently on a strand of spiky blonde hair, feeling his heart race as Yami shook his head slowly, his large violet eyes glowing.

There was a long silence and Yami decided to break it by speaking, as he had finally managed to piece together a broken-sounding sentence in his mind. “Will you touch…only me?”

And his stomach tightened uncomfortably, wondering if his owner would understand. Maybe it was too much to ask for.  
There were plenty of people in the world, and Seto was impossibly handsome! He could have his pick!

“Yeah,” Seto answered hollowly, pressing the back of his hand gently against Yami’s cheek, feeling his eyelashes flutter wonderfully against his knuckles, “That’s the plan.”

“Really?” Yami breathed, feeling his head spin as he wondered if he could allow himself to be happy.

Seto nodded silently and pressed his lips warmly across Yami’s forehead, watching Yami sigh and relax visibly. He felt his boner throb in his pants and he crept his hand across the bed, pressing his knuckles warmly against Yami’s penis, pleased to discover that he was still hard.

“Hey,” Seto said softly, giving Yami’s dick a soft tap, seeing Yami’s eyes flutter open to stare unblinkingly at him.

Yami nodded tightly, wondering if Seto wanted to continue. Could they?  
When Isono had mentioned Mokuba, it had filled him with a terrible guilt.

“Tomorrow,” Seto whispered hoarsely, “when we get on that ship, I want to continue.”

Yami felt his breath hitch in his chest his erection throbbed excitedly in his pants. He had almost forgotten! They were going to be on a luxury ship!

“We can make as much noise as we want.” Seto continued quietly, brushing his thumb gently over the curves of Yami’s cheekbone. “I have a private cabin.”  
  
_A private cabin!_ Yami thought in amazement, and his stomach churned uncertainly with a strange mixture of fear and anticipation.

And without warning, the image of the nameless boy’s tear-stained face flashed across his mind in the dark.

_“…my owner often kept me at home or on his private boat…!”_

Yami grit his teeth and shut his eyes tightly, willing his mind to go blank.  
This was different.  
His owner was kind.  
And this wasn’t his owner’s private boat.  
  
His owner had always followed their agreement of never touching his hole, so he had nothing to fear, even if it meant he was going to be in a room…where no one could hear him scream.

Seto frowned, seeing Yami blink rapidly and frown.  
Was it because he didn’t understand?

“Do you understand?” Seto asked heatedly, withdrawing his hand away from Yami’s face, wondering if he ought to grab a sheet of paper from off his desk.  
  
Actually…he should install a verbal translator on his phone.  
He was done passing notes with Yami like they were kids in grade school.

Yami swallowed tightly and nodded, pausing for a moment before shaking his head.

Sighing heavily, Seto rubbed his temples and rolled over onto his side, sliding his phone off from his nightstand. He would download it now before he fucking forgot.

Yami realized his owner was done speaking with him, and he tried to calm himself down, knowing that he was least likely to find escape while trapped on a ship in the middle of the ocean. The only way off was to jump.

 _But…I don’t want to leave my owner…or this house,_ Yami thought blurrily, inching forwards across the mattress and pressing his forehead against Seto’s back, breathing deeply, feeling himself sinking deeper into the soft bed.  
  
He would have to leave Mokuba behind if he was running away. And he knew Mokuba well enough by now, the child would refuse to accompany him.  
Mokuba was fiercely loyal to Seto…for some reason.  
  
Yami continued to sink deeper into his thoughts.  
The nameless boy was wrong.  
Seto was kind, and had even promised not to see other women.

Ever since his numbers had disappeared off his wrist, the nameless boy’s face had gone with it.  
  
If a child as young as Mokuba was happy living in this house, there was no reason he couldn’t do so as well.

He drifted off into a warm, relaxed sleep, and Seto turned over onto his side, holding his phone out towards Yami, “Hey, say something in Arabic….” And he frowned, realizing Yami had fallen fast asleep.

Sighing, he clicked his phone off and tossed it back onto the nightstand, shutting his eyes and forcing himself to relax. He would have plenty of spare time on that dammed ship to enjoy Yami tomorrow.

* * *

Yami woke up to a light buzzing sound coming from somewhere in the room, and he pried his eyes open, seeing his owner’s phone vibrating across the nightstand, and he sat upright in bed, rubbing his eyes tiredly, realizing the bed was empty.

A dark blue duffel bag was sitting at the foot of the bed, and Yami caught the sleeve of a dress-shirt hanging out of the side, and he glanced around the room, wondering where his owner went.

“Seto?” Yami asked tentatively, eyeing the empty bathroom and the connecting door into his room. He eased himself up on his knees and craned his neck, glancing into his own room. It was empty.

Where was everyone?

Seto was sitting on Mokuba’s bed, staring at the back of Mokuba’s head, while Mokuba was bent over his desk, staring intently at his English grammar text book.

What Isono had mentioned last night, about Mokuba walking in on him and Yami in a compromising position, really stuck with him, so he had decided he would confront Mokuba about it directly, but he was having trouble finding the words to begin a conversation.

His relationship with Yami would inevitably change while they spent more time alone together, and he had come to terms with his newfound sexuality, but he wondered if Mokuba would feel the same.

“Have fun on your cruise,” Mokuba said dryly, flipping his pencil between his fingers. “Yami is gonna have fun, because he doesn’t have to speak to anyone.”

“Right…” Seto said darkly, folding his hands in his lap, feeling himself shake.

His brother turned to throw him a strange look over his shoulder. “What, Seto? Just go already.”

Seto swallowed tightly and steeled himself to say it as bluntly as possible, “It’s about Yami.”

“Yeah, what about him?” Mokuba answered dully, swiveling around in his chair, realizing Seto looked unusually small. His legs were tightly crossed and his hands were folded tightly in his lap, his slender shoulders slightly pulled forwards…looking almost defensive.

“You like him, right?” Seto asked, feeling his mouth going dry.

“Yeah, I really do,” Mokuba said plainly, twirling his pencil absently again, “And I know you don’t like him. Yami likes you in a different way. It makes me mad, honestly.”

Seto frowned, feeling his heart skip several beats in his chest. What?

“What?” he said, feeling himself grow numb.

“Yami has a crush on you, you dummy.” Mokuba sighed, giving his brother an exasperated look, and Seto could feel his cheeks burning so much, he could’ve sworn the skin was sliding off his face.

“And I know you don’t like him back,” Mokuba continued ruthlessly, “I saw you shove him to the ground at the beach. Why can’t you like someone back for a change? He’s been cooking all your dinners, and he’s always super happy to see you eat them.”

Blinking rapidly, Seto felt his world stop.  
He didn’t fucking know that.  
He had just thought Yami’s staring was part of his weird personality.

Seto struggled to speak, his voice catching terribly in his throat. “Yeah, Mokuba. I like him back. You weren’t supposed to see that.”

“Whatever,” Mokuba said dryly, rolling his eyes. “If you like him, you should act like it.”

Seto nodded stiffly, feeling as if he was being scolded by his younger brother. “I will.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Mokuba scoffed, “I want a hug before you go.”

Seto stood quickly and bent down to give his brother a quick hug, feeling Mokuba push him away irritably and roll his eyes again.

Yami had just stepped out of the shower when he heard his owner’s footsteps echoing in the room. He rushed to the door, almost slipping on the wet tiles in his haste, pulling the door open a crack, seeing his owner neatly set a few more stacks of clothes into the bag before zipping it up firmly.

“Yami?” Seto called, seeing steam floating out through the crack of the bathroom door. “Come out and pack a bag.”

Yami pulled the bathroom door open and felt it swing forwards forcefully in his hand as Seto strode into the bathroom and swept him off his feet, his arms tightening warmly around his waist.

Gasping, Yami felt his stomach swoop violently as his feet left the floor and his ass slid across the granite of the bathroom counters, his towel slipping off from around his waist as Seto kissed him intensely and with passion.

Yami tensed, and then instantly relaxed, sighing happily into the kiss, draping his arms around Seto’s shoulders while locking his ankles around Seto’s waist, feeling Seto push him tightly up against the mirror behind him.

The bathroom door slowly swung shut and Seto felt a rush of satisfaction, sliding his hands underneath Yami’s towel and groping his supple ass cheeks, enjoying the echoing gasp he earned.

“No one will come in here,” Seto said gleefully, grazing his teeth along the shell of Yami’s ear, feeling his slender frame shiver deliciously against his body. “Can you be quiet? Mokuba’s door is open.”

Yami managed to nod, feeling cold fingers closing over the curves of his ass cheek and he felt as though his chest was about to explode from happiness. Had he done something right? Something to make his owner want him?

“Yes…” Yami gasped, feeling Seto’s teeth and tongue rolling erotically over his nipple, and he slipped his hand through his owner’s hair, raking his fingers across his scalp, deeply enjoying the fragrance every time he ruffled Seto’s hair. “It feels good…!”

Seto paused and lifted his head, grinning brightly at Yami, seeing Yami gaze lustfully up at him through half-lidded eyes, “Good. You’re learning.”

Yami felt his chest tighten so much, his heart ached. Seto’s smile was so disarming! He bucked his hips forwards across the cold stone counter, feeling Seto lean down to kiss him deeply once more, enjoying the sweet tongue sliding warmly past his teeth and licking the roof of his mouth. He felt something cold press firmly into the tip of his dick and Yami broke away to gaze down at himself, seeing the head of his penis rubbing roughly against the thick metal buckle of his owner’s belt.

Seto followed Yami’s gaze and grinned again, easing his hips forwards, purposefully rubbing the grooves of the metal up against the head of Yami’s dick, catching his own grinning reflection in the mirror. “Does that feel good?”

“Yes…!” Yami answered breathlessly, grinding his hips forwards, enjoying the heated threads of pleasure running up and down his legs every time his owner’s metal buckle rubbed into his slit. 

“Turn around,” Seto demanded, giving Yami’s legs an encouraging pat. “Face the mirror.”

Yami trembled excitedly, sliding his legs off from around Seto’s hips and he balanced precariously on his hands and knees, pressing his palms flat against the mirror, seeing his own flushed expression reflected at him.

He blinked slowly, seeing his owner lean forwards to trail and series of soft kisses down his back, feeling teeth grazing lightly over his shoulder blades and Yami shivered, staring at the dark swirl of brown hair in the reflection.

Seto slid his palm up Yami’s thigh and palmed his erection, giving it a few slow strokes, pleased to see Yami’s cheeks flush crimson, watching Yami’s eyes widen in the mirror.

Yami bit back a gasp, seeing his own erotic expression staring back at him, and he could see his owner’s hand between his legs, lovingly stroking his shaft, his handsome face grinning at him.

“Nice face,” Seto said devilishly, giving Yami’s shoulder blade a firm bite, feeling Yami shuddering and squirming as he roughly thumbed his slit, feeling the wetness pooling underneath his finger. “Don’t show that face to anyone else, do you understand? I’ve been holding back…and just thinking about your faces are enough for me to cum.”

Yami could barely believe what he was hearing. His palms slid lower along the glass, his head spinning, his body jerking and quivering pleasurably with the slowly torturous strokes from his owner’s hand, while the other hand pinched and rolled his nipples playfully, and Yami couldn’t stop staring at Seto’s the thin, oval shaped nails against his skin. He let out a soft cry, his stomach clenching with arousal, wondering if Seto really meant his words.

Seto raked his eyes down along Yami’s bare back, enjoying how smooth and soft his skin looked and felt. He slid his hand away from Yami’s nipple, hastily undoing his belt, his eyes never leaving Yami’s delicate pink hole which was clenching and unclenching deliciously just above his buckle. Damn, he had never wanted shove his dick into something so badly. He gave Yami’s ass a long, slow knead, spreading him wider, and Yami let out another desperate gasp, feeling his dick ache and leak as his owner’s hand stopped in its motions.

“K-Keep…on!” Yami hissed, watching Seto stare at his asshole in the reflection of the mirror. This was fine! If Seto wanted to fill him, that was fine!  
Anything was fine!  
As long as the hot, clenching, searing feeling never left his body…even a dick in his hole was fine!

“Please…” Yami begged weakly, seeing his owner smirk slowly and lick his finger, pressing the pad of it against his entrance. Yami shook his head frantically. “No!”  
Not fingers! Penis!

Seto tensed, his chest curling with agitated disappointment. “Yes…” He replied viciously, tapping his finger against Yami’s hole, seeing the pink rim clench and unclench again. Maybe Yami needed more convincing with his tongue.

“Not…that!” Yami squirmed, reaching a hand behind himself, attempting to grab at his owner’s bulge, feeling Seto lean away to stare blankly at him, and their eyes met in the reflection of the mirror.

In his frantic haze of lust, Yami had forgotten how to say ‘penis’ in Japanese.

In the other bathroom, Isono was setting a stack of freshly laundered towels onto the rack when he heard odd gasping coming from the other side of the wall.

He froze, hearing voices echoing through the tiles from Kaiba’s bathroom.

 _“Please…No!”_ Yami’s voice, in a hushed, desperate whisper.

 _“Yes.”_ Kaiba’s impatient demand.

 _“Not that!”_ Yami’s pleading cry.

He dropped the towels and rushed out of the bathroom and through the connecting door, seeing the bathroom door closed, and he could hear Kaiba’s voice coming from behind it.

_“Then you choose. My mouth…? Fingers? Or…?”_

Yami desperately pointed at his own dick and edged his hand around his ass cheeks to point at his hole, and he saw Seto’s face morph into a dark, gleeful look.

“Really?” Seto said fiendishly, inching his underwear lower down along his hips, freeing his erection which was shining at the tip, leaking with his arousal. “This?”

Yes! Yes! Yami nodded furiously, pushing back against the mirror, feeling his owner thud his shaft heavily across his ass cheeks, the sound echoing thinly around the room. Yami shivered happily and tensed, waiting, letting his eyelids fall shut, his chest curling with deep excitement and anticipation.  
  
If Seto had a taste of his virgin hole, then maybe he would never consider a woman ever again! He would be treated even nicer!  
  
Yami shivered, feeling Seto grind his penis between his cheeks while giving his front a nice, warm squeeze.  
His owner would treat him like a priceless object and pleasure him constantly.  
This was a good thing!

Seto eased forwards and rubbed his dick across Yami’s hole, flexing his thighs, wondering if he ought to grab the lube from the other room when the bathroom door creaked open slowly.

Yami pried his eyes open, his anger and irritation rising to an all-time high when he saw Isono standing in the doorway, looking extremely horrified at the sight of Kaiba’s dick sitting tightly between Yami’s asscheeks.

“N-No!” Yami cried miserably, hearing his owner curse at the same time while Isono shouted Kaiba’s name. “Master Kaiba…!”  
  
“Fuck!” Seto spat, yanking his underwear up over his hips, feeling Yami tremble violently and palm his face in deep embarrassment, the tips of his ears flushed pink.

Yami tried to control his breathing, feeling as if he was about to cum the second Seto had let go of his dick, and his ears rang with the furious shouts.

“The door was fucking closed! Are you blind _and_ deaf you old geezer?!” Seto shouted, his own ears ringing with his voice.

“Leave him alone! This is assault!” Isono shouted back, his fists clenched at his sides, trying to contain his disgust he attempted to tear his eyes away from Yami, who was bent forwards on top of the narrow counter in a crouched position, his ass nearly hanging off the side, his face pressed into his hands, looking deeply ashamed.

“It’s not assault! I have his consent!” Seto hissed, knowing Mokuba would’ve come running the instant he heard shouting.

“Really!?” Isono asked furiously, trembling with disbelief, “Not from what I’m hearing through the wall!”

“You want to watch? You sound like you want to watch, if you’re already listening through the wall!” Seto growled furiously, grabbing the hem of his trousers threateningly, feeling Yami tense beside him, knowing that Yami had understood that.  
  
“Stop…just stop!” Isono cried miserably, wringing his hands, seeing Yami raise his head slightly, only to press it back down into his hands. “I will stand here until you are both dressed and presentable!”

“Get the fuck…OUT!” Seto shouted himself hoarse, seeing Isono take a wide-legged stance and fold his arms across his chest, and to his increasing horror, Mokuba’s shadow panned across the floor behind Isono.

Hissing in annoyance, Seto grabbed Yami around the waist and lowered him gently to the floor, crouching over his naked body, shielding him from view of the door.

“Mokuba…leave!” Seto yelled, feeling his dick throb miserably in his underwear.  
  
Yami took deep, gasping breaths, feeling his owner embrace him from behind, his clothed body rubbing warmly across his naked back, and he shivered, hearing Mokuba speak, sounding stricken.

“Wh-What’s happening? Is Yami okay?!”

“He was just fine until Isono saw us…” Seto hissed, pressing his lips tightly against the nape of Yami’s neck, inhaling slowly, willing himself to calm down. Time to fucking leave. They had a boat to catch, and the sooner they were on it, the better.

“We’ll wait outside, Young Mokuba,” Yami heard Isono say, and he heard soft footsteps pattering behind him, and his owner’s hardness pressed firmly against his lower back. He felt a hot tongue sensually lick the shell of his ear, Seto’s whispers sending wonderful shivers down his spine. “It hurts, doesn’t it? How long have you been holding out? Have you been touching yourself? I can tell.”

Yami nodded miserably and shuddered, feeling his owner hug him tightly from behind. His dick itched terribly, and the strange pressure at the base of his stomach wasn’t going away. He just wanted to finish.

“I want…to finish,” Yami whispered lamely, knowing that asking now was pointless. Why was that old man so intrusive?!  
His owner wasn’t assaulting him!

Seto smirked and released Yami, standing slowly and fixing his belt across his waist, seeing Yami blink imploringly up at him from the floor, one hand wrapped loosely around his own dick, looking as if he wanted to jerk himself off.

He leaned down and grabbed Yami’s wrist, lightly yanking him to his feet, pressing a warm kiss across his temple, feeling spiky blond bangs tickling his nose. “Pack a bag, get dressed, walk by Mokuba like nothing is wrong, and we’ll continue in the car.”

“When?” Yami asked desperately, trying to twist his hand out of his owner’s grasp.  
  
He just wanted to finish, but Seto was holding onto his good hand, the one he used to finish himself with!  
He didn’t want to wait until they got in the car!  
Now!  
Now was a good time!

“In the car,” Seto replied patiently, realizing he had probably spoken too fast and Yami couldn’t understand him. Fine. For the sake of saving time, he would pack Yami’s bag for him.

He led Yami out if the bathroom and through the connecting door, feeling his stomach clench and swoop as he caught a glimpse of Yami’s naked reflection in the full-length mirror, enjoying the way his boner stuck out from his body and it bounced lightly with every unsteady step he took. Fucking…erotic. His plans for mirror sex were ruined. Damn Isono and his nosiness.

Seto grabbed the spare bag he kept on the top shelf of the closet, letting go of Yami’s hand to sweep all the clothes off their hangers, dumping them unceremoniously into the bag.

Yami eased back onto his bed, breathless and flushed, gripping his dick with his hand and giving himself a few firm strokes, seeing his owner hiss and reach out to grab his wrist again. He twisted away and crawled onto the bed on all fours, knowing he was flashing Seto his hole.

 _Follow me! You want it!_ Yami thought gleefully, feeling cold hands wrap around his ankles and drag him to the edge of the bed again.

“Stop that!” Seto hissed, feeling Yami shudder and arch up against his body, wrapping his deeply tanned arms around his waist and pulling him insistently towards the bed.  “We’re leaving. We’re getting the fuck out of this house!”

“I want it here!” Yami insisted, wrapping himself around Seto’s clothed body, shivering as he enjoyed the way Seto’s pants felt against his bare skin and leaking tip. Really quickly! Could his owner just finish him really quickly?! With hands, or mouth?

“Get…dressed!” Seto said, grabbing the set of clothes and shoving it against Yami’s chest, seeing him sit heavily onto the edge of the bed.

He watched as Yami stubbornly dropped the clothes out of his arms and dashed towards the nightstand, holding up the anal beads triumphantly, his eyes gleaming.

“Yami!” Seto bit back a pained laugh caught in his chest as he snatched the beads out of Yami’s hands and tossed it into the bag.

Yami frowned, dismayed when he saw the beaded necklace land in the bag on top of his clothes.

“Grab the lube too, while you’re at it,” Seto said hoarsely, picking the clothes up from the floor and pressing it against Yami’s chest again. “ _Please_ fucking put on some clothes, or I’ll drag you butt-ass naked past Mokuba and the whole house.”

Yami sobered up the instant he heard Seto say “Mokuba”, and he turned back towards the drawer to grab the lube, only to have it snatched out of his hand again and thrown into the bag with his clothes.

“Now get dressed,” Seto demanded, zipping the bag up hastily, watching Yami step into his pants and shrug his shirt on backwards. Done. Good enough.  
  
He grabbed Yami by the wrist, and dragged him back into his room. Seto grabbed his own bag and slung it over his shoulder, hearing Yami speak softly, “Kiss…”

Gritting his teeth, Seto ignored him and marched out the door, past Mokuba and Isono, who were standing idly in the hallway.

“We’re leaving,” He said roughly, his eyes glued to the front door, feeling Yami wobble behind him as he led him down the stairs.

“Bye Seto! Have fun Yami!” Mokuba cried after them, thinking Yami looked oddly wild-eyed and desperate.

The front door slammed and Mokuba glanced up at Isono beside him, who was standing very still with his arms tightly crossed, his mouth set in a tight line.

“What assault?” Mokuba asked bluntly, seeing Isono blink and shake his head silently.

“I’m not stupid Isono! Tell me what you and Seto are talking about!” Mokuba insisted, feeling his frustration rising. “I’m not a little kid! I know what assault is!”

Isono gave Mokuba an appraising look, “Do you know what assault looks like, Mokuba?”

“Yeah,” Mokuba replied angrily, thinking he had no idea what assault looked like.  
He had a vague idea.  
It was fighting…wasn’t it?

“Well, when you see your brother after he comes back from his vacation,” Isono sniffed, walking towards the staircase, “You can tell him to stop assaulting the foreigner.”

Mokuba frowned deeply, “Seto isn’t assaulting Yami.”

Isono paused on the top step, giving Mokuba long look. “You don’t know that,” he answered softly, gripping the railing for support.

“Is kissing considered assault?” Mokuba asked aggressively, clenching his fists at his sides, “Or hugging?”

Isono blinked, feeling himself sway on the spot. This conversation was a bad idea after all. This meant Mokuba had seen Kaiba and Yami kissing and hugging.

“No,” he answered quietly, “But it _is_ assault, if the person you’re hugging or kissing doesn’t want to be hugged or kissed.”

“You’re stupid,” Mokuba scoffed, turning to go back into his room, realizing Isono had misunderstood Yami’s crush. “Yami likes Seto. Yami has always liked Seto, even before Seto liked him. You walked in on them kissing, didn’t you?”

Isono blinked rapidly, processing this information slowly, deciding to lie. “Yes, they were kissing…”

“It’s not assault.” Mokuba replied firmly, “Yami kissed Seto, and Seto kissed him back. They like each other.” And he slammed the door.  
He pulled out his phone and sent Seto a quick text before clicking his phone off and sitting down on the floor by the low table, contemplating watching TV instead.

Isono stood motionless at the top of the stairs, piecing together the bits of information he had just learned, feeling his blood boil as he realized, Yami had played him for a fool.

_“Help me…please!”_

He flashed back to the night when he had found Yami trembling and shivering on Kaiba’s bed, covered in semen, looking dejected.  
  
That was an act.  
  
He recalled the way Yami had asked for secrecy.  
  
_“Don’t tell the master you are helping me…”_

And he felt an alien rage searing up inside him.  
He had foolishly handed the boy resources.  
Taught him conversational Japanese, and how to cook, clean, sew, garden and weed, and he had been repaid…with deception and lies.

He recalled the conversation they on had one sunny afternoon, while they were airing out futons.

“Are you getting along with Master Kaiba?” he had asked. “You’re in his bed. Why do you sleep in his bed?”  
  
And Yami turned to him with a concerned frown. “I sleep in his bed because he asks me to. He’s using me as a bed warmer. Honestly, I’m unhappy with the arrangement.”

Shaken, Isono had turned to the futon, patting it lightly, seeing minute specks of dust flying off the fabric. “Then sleep in your own bed.”

“I can’t,” Yami had responded, looking increasingly more worried. “I’m safer in his bed. I fear he will come into my room when I’m sleeping and do something even worse, so it’s better that I obey the owner.”

“Master Kaiba would never do such a thing,” he had insisted, shaking his head frantically, unwilling to believe it.

“You don’t know what he would or wouldn’t do,” Yami recited carefully, “Isn’t that what you said to me a few days ago?”

“That’s true…but—” Isono protested, and Yami cut across his solemnly, “I’m doing the best I can…to keep myself safe. Please endure this quietly with me until I can leave.”

 _He wants to leave,_ Isono thought darkly, curling his fists inside his pockets.  
Was that a lie?  
It didn’t matter.  
He would have the funds prepared so that Yami could leave the moment he got back from the ship.  
  
Yami had learned how to speak fluently enough to survive on the street, and he knew how to read well enough. He could cook, and he had been taught how to clean.  
He was ready to leave the house.

The farther away Yami was from Kaiba, the better.  
  
The young master was being led off track.  
  
Isono made his way down the rest of the stairs and grabbed his coat off the hanger.  
  
He was heading to the bank today before he did anything else.

* * *

**Author’s note:**

 Thoughts? bwahahaha leave a comment!

Thank you animaniac1017!! Your comments while editing is entertaining af LOL  
(high five!!)

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	18. I just want to think for myself

Kaiba slid across the leather seats of his limo, pulling Yami towards him, and Yami eased himself up onto his owner’s lap.

He straddled Seto’s legs, his boner pressing tightly against his owner’s lower stomach, hearing Seto speak to the driver in a rushed tone, “Location is in the GPS.”

Yami saw the driver nod and he briefly wondered what a ‘GPS’ was before Seto kissed him deeply, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist, pulling him closer still.

Yami shivered happily, jutting up on his knees, bucking his hips forwards impishly, his boner grinding heatedly against Seto’s body.

The car lurched forwards and Yami dug his knees down into the leather, allowing his owner to slowly grope his length through his pants, feeling his stomach churn as Seto gazed up at him with a pained look, speaking softly,k “We can’t do much here, but does this feel good?”

Nodding wordlessly, Yami sat down heavily on Seto’s lap, his inner thigh stretching almost painfully as he balanced precariously on his owner’s slender knees, clumsily inching his pants off from around his waist. He shivered, his wet tip sensitive to the sudden change in temperature, and he watched Seto loosen his belt, his slender fingers popping open the top button of his trousers and hastily lowering the zipper.

Yami felt a sudden rush of satisfaction, seeing his owner free his erection, and he grabbed at it eagerly, palming the warm head, feeling the wetness streaking wonderfully between his fingers. Seto pulled Yami closer against his body, shamelessly bucking his hips upwards into Yami’s touch, feeling Yami leaning into him, his fingers slipping over his dick as he tried to palm both of their lengths in his small hand.

Yami struggled badly, clutching Seto around the shoulders with one arm while attempting to balance across his knees with his hand wrapped around both of their cocks, feeling Seto nibble hungrily at his earlobe.

 _“Your hand…”_ Yami hissed, giving Seto’s shaft a long, hard pump upwards and squeezing tightly, glancing down to see his owner reach towards his erection, stroking him so vigorously, Yami doubled over and his chin hit Seto’s shoulder.

 _Slower!_ Yami thought ferociously, unable to withstand the sudden assault, the heated waves of electricity running up and down his legs, causing them to jerk and shiver uncontrollably, and he opened his mouth to speak, hearing a strange gasp escape his lips.

Seto grit his teeth, feeling Yami’s hand loosening around his shaft, and he was growing frustrated, watching Yami lean forwards to bite his shoulder, panting heavily in his ear, sounding as if he was about to cum. It was so fucking irritating that they had to do this shit in a moving car, instead of somewhere they could clean up easily, like the bedroom.

“Get off. Get on your knees,” Seto mumbled, feeling his tongue swell as Yami shoved his mouth insistently over his and kissed him passionately, licking the roof of his mouth sensually before moving to nibble lightly on his lower lip.

“I said, get on your knees,” Seto demanded, wrapping strong arms around Yami’s slender frame and easing him into the floor of the limo.

Yami cried out in protest, attempting to tighten his arms around Seto’s neck, failing as he realized his arms had grown weak, and he shivered violently as his knees pressed into the floor, seeing Seto slide towards him, his impressive length sticking up and pointing towards his chin.

“Mine…first,” Yami said lamely, seeing his owner’s pale hand snaking across his cheek and threading into the hair, pushing his head forwards demandingly.

“No,” Seto breathed, giving his dick an excited twitch as he felt Yami’s hot breath pan across his tip, “mine first.”

“No…!” Yami protested weakly, feeling the tip of his owner’s dick graze erotically across his chin, and his owner shot him a cold glare.

“You can barely keep your eyes open afterwards. You want me to do it to you while you’re like that?” Seto asked viciously.

Yami blinked and shook his head bleakly, thinking he was always sucking his owner’s length. It could feel good with hands too! Why did it have to be his mouth?

He reached his hand up to touch, and it was slapped away with a sharp hiss.

“Suck, and use your tongue,” Seto demanded, feeling his head spin as his chest tightened with pent-up frustration.

Yami set his lips in a tight line and shook his head, lifting his hand up and pointing at it with his other hand. Touch.

“Fine,” Seto growled, throwing caution to the wind, the grabbed Yami by the wrist and placed his hand on his dick, seeing Yami’s face light up as he stroked his length with ease, his eyes never leaving his crotch.

“Stop…staring,” he managed through each heated pump, and Yami threw him a look of derision, grinning impishly.

 _Why? I want to look at it!_ Yami thought furiously to himself, reaching his other hand forward to wrap it around his owner’s length, using both hands fluidly, he eased his body weight down onto Seto’s shaft, seeing his owner’s knees trembling at either side of his elbows.

Seto felt his stomach curl with a low pressure and he swallowed, his mouth going dry as he realized Yami was going to make him cum fast, and in a rush, reminding him that it had been a long time since he had been touched.

“Drink it,” Seto gasped, seeing Yami gaze up at him from the floor, his angular eyes wide with confusion.

Yami didn’t have a second to prepare before his owner reached around the back of his neck and shoved him forwards, forcing the tip of his dick past his teeth, his jaw stretching impossibly wide as a hot stream of thick, bitter fluid hit the back of his tongue and streamed down the back of his throat.

Blinking wildly, Yami tried to jerk his head back, his heart pounding furiously in his chest as he felt his owner tense powerfully and thrust upwards into the roof of his mouth, his owner’s sweet musk engulfing him fully, almost choking him.

He resisted the urge to bite down on Seto’s dick, his anger and irritation rising higher the longer his owner stayed in his mouth, the liquid was turning sour and it pooled wetly behind his teeth.

“All of it!” Seto hissed, running a thumb along a drop of cum escaping from the corner of Yami’s wet lower lip. “Or I’m mopping it up with one of your clean shirts.”

Yami bit back a gasp and felt his owner’s length sliding deeper into his mouth, and he ran his tongue solidly along its base, struggling with all his might to swallow everything in his mouth, shuddering as the fluid felt grimy against his teeth.

Why did it taste so bad this time?!  
Yami felt an odd bubble of fear swell up inside him and he leaned his head away, relieved that Seto’s hand was no longer keeping his head in place.

He rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand, coughing slightly, feeling himself tremble all over.  
His throat itched strangely. Disgusting.  
That wasn’t as fun as it was the previous times his owner had made him suck, and he could feel his own arousal subsiding.

“Disgusting, right?” Seto said knowingly, “I taste like shit. I know.” It had been at least a week or so since he had masturbated, and half of his diet was black coffee.

Yami frowned, his stomach swooping down to his feet, nodding.  
Good, at least he knew.

“Disgusting,” Yami repeated, sitting back on his heels, staring down at himself, solidly disappointed to discover that he was no longer hard.

“I didn’t like that,” Yami said viciously, feeling oddly neglected.  
Always, at the end of the day, he was reminded that Seto was a selfish person.  
Him first.  
Always him first.

“I’ll make it up to you,” Seto said gruffly, inching his underwear up along his hips and buttoning up his trousers. He edged towards the mini bar and grabbed a bottle of sparkling water, hesitating for a moment before handing it to Yami, seeing him button himself up slowly, looking furious.

“I’ll make it up to you,” Seto repeated, giving Yami’s elbow a soft nudge with the base of the bottle. “I promise.”

 _Right, you selfish man,_ Yami thought miserably, grabbing the water and cracking it open. He heard it hiss and he waited, glumly wrenching the cap off and swishing the bubbly water around in his mouth, thinking back to the last time his owner had handed him fizzy water after being sucked.

 _I’m stupid,_ Yami berated himself, glaring at the water bottle between his hands.

He knew his owner wasn’t handing him the water as a reward, but as a tool for cleaning his mouth. That meant, the first time he had used his mouth, the bottle of water wasn’t a reward.

 _What the hell am I doing?_ Yami wondered faintly, feeling this tongue itch and his throat burn.

“Sit here,” Seto urged gently, patting the spot beside him, feeling slightly concerned at the dark look panning across Yami’s face.

Yami rose unsteadily to his feet, just as the car lurched to a stop right when his bottom hit the seat. His head spun and his ears rang with a strange, tinny sound as the driver spoke, “Mr. Kaiba, we have arrived. Should I pull into the… ?”

Yami lifted his head to gaze out the window, seeing a flat plane of concrete, which dipped down into miles and miles of ocean, with no ship in sight.

“No, we’ll get out here.” Seto answered gruffly, hearing footsteps approaching his door. He grabbed Yami’s bag and slung it over his shoulder along with his own and brushed his knuckle lightly against Yami’s cheek, seeing him jump and jerk back suddenly.

What the fuck!

“What the hell, Yami. Calm the fuck down,” he growled, and Yami shook his head frantically, his eyes widening with panic.

Yami stared at the pair of shiny black shoes right outside the car door, and a man wearing a pair of white gloves bowed, “Welcome Mr. Kaiba, this way please.”

He felt a cold hand close around his wrist and he let Seto pull him out of the car.  
  
Squinting in the sun, a strong wind whipped a few strands of hair into his eyes and Yami blinked as they stung and watered. Everything was so bright and windy…!

His owner’s hand tightened and slipped right into his, and their fingers intertwined. Yami felt his heart skip a beat as he stared down at their linked hands, noticing how his skin looked very dark against his owner’s pale fingers.

The ground changed, and they were walking up a shiny ramp.  
Yami spotted waves lapping gently up against the sides of the metal dock, and he glanced up, stifling a gasp as he realized he couldn’t see the top of the ship.

It was enormous! Either side was longer than anything he had ever seen, and he couldn’t tell which end was the front; they were already at the top of the ramp, and the last thing Yami could see was a large shadow cast by the ship.

He saw rows and rows of balconies towering above his head before they stepped into the boat and through a solid metal frame. Yami gazed fearfully at the men wearing white gloves who bowed at them as they walked past.  
  
Were these men security? Or servants? Isono wore white gloves but…these men acted differently.

A series of shrill whining beeps pieced the air, and Yami was jolted violently out of his thoughts, feeling his owner’s hand tense around his, and several men wearing dark suits converged around them, their faces stony and frowning.

Yami bit back a terrified gasp as several of the men made eye contact with him, and he ducked behind Seto, hoping these men would leave him alone.

“He’s wearing jewelry,” Seto spoke hastily, a solid pang of fear shooting through his chest as he realized it wasn’t the gold that had set it off.  
  
This sensor detected irregularities.  
It was his chip imbedded in the metal.  
He would have a lot of explaining to do.  
Fuck.  
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Yami blinked rapidly, seeing a man approach him with a long thin device, and he was led off to the side, feeling his owner’s hand slip away from his own, and his palm felt damp.  
They were being separated!  
And he was being led behind a glass barrier which read, _“Inspection…”_

“No…” Yami raised his voice to protest, but saw his owner give him a quick shake of his head and a stern nod, raising his arms stiffly to the side while a guard ran the long thin device over his body.

Yami swallowed his fear and was made to stand on a plush, black mat. He stared at the guard standing before him, and he lifted his own arms to the side as well, seeing the guard kneel and begin by patting him around the ankles, his white-gloved hands moving up between his legs quickly, and even touching him behind the knees.

He threw a nervous glance over at Seto through the thin glass barrier, seeing the guard taking off his owner’s blazer and running the thin device over the folds before hovering the device over both of their bags.

 _We’re being checked for weapons!_ Yami realized, bile rising higher in his throat as the guard’s gloved hand dipped behind his ear and gently patted his hair.  
  
_In my hair?!_ _Behind my ear?! There’s nothing there!_ Yami thought frantically.

The thin device traveled across his chest and down his arms. A slow beeping began emitting from the thin device, and Yami watched the guard lift his arm up by the wrist, pointing at his golden bracelets, “Where did you get these?”

“They’re mine,” Yami answered numbly, seeing his owner throw him a look he’d never seen before, and he felt his stomach curl.

If he was not mistaken, his owner’s clear blue eyes were wide…with panic.

“Answer the question,” The guard demanded, looping a gloved finger through one of the bands and running the device over it again.  
  
The device let out a shrill whine, and Yami felt himself sweat.  
  
He watched as the guard did the same with the other bracelet, and Yami felt his skin burn, resisting the urge to jerk his hand back, his knees growing weak.

“I got them from Seto,” Yami said quietly, and he saw his owner lean forward to speak to the guard on his platform.

“He doesn’t speak Japanese,” Seto said hastily to the guard, clenching his fists at his sides as he could see a line queuing behind him. Damn. This was embarrassing and a waste of everyone’s time.

“Please wait on the other side of the barrier, Mr. Kaiba. We will deal with him accordingly.” The man said emptily, holding his arm out and gesturing for the next person to step through the detector. 

Yami watched as the guard cleared his owner. His owner moved out of sight, and his fear rose to an all-time high.

“And where did Mr. Kaiba get these from?” The guard continued, making direct eye contact with him.

“They were a gift,” Yami said indignantly, deciding to glare at the guard. He would do anything to hide his fear, even if it meant being rude. “How should I know or care where he got them from?”

“Can you take them off so I can put them through the imaging scanner?” The guard asked genially. “I know Mr. Kaiba likes his…. We just have to make sure.”

 _Likes his what? I can’t understand!_ Yami thought fearfully, his mind scrambling for a response, and he stumbled over his words. “Will I get them back? Am I in trouble?”

The guard lifted a grey plastic tray and held it out to him, “In here, please. You will get them back.”

Yami nodded weakly and pried the bracelets off from around his wrist and dropped them into the tray with a soft clink, his heart pounding so loud in his chest, it began to hurt.

He watched as the guard marched through the scanner again, setting off the shrieking alarm, and Yami could see a line of people peering curiously at him through the glass, some looking thoroughly annoyed.

He felt like shriveling up into a tiny ball and disappearing.   
Why were the gold bracelets causing so much trouble?!  
Where was his owner?  
Had they taken him into a room too?  
This was the worst!  
Was this what it felt like to be detained for being an illegal?

 _I’m in trouble_ , Yami realized with a slow tricking horror.  
Being separated from Seto would only lead to bad things.

Yami stared at the guard, seeing him shove the tiny tray with his bracelets through a small flap-covered window, and the guard circled the table before walking back towards him, nodding.

“Everything is fine. Our mistake,” the guard said, bowing forwards, holding the tray out with both hands.

Yami hastily grabbed his bracelets and slid them safely back onto his arm, craning his neck frantically, trying to catch a glimpse of his owner’s familiar light brown hair.

“He is waiting just past …. and walk straight ahead,” The guard said, nodding.

Seto tapped his foot impatiently, leaning against the wall, seeing a slow stream of passengers walking by him carrying large luggage, many accompanied by their security detail, and he caught a few familiar faces nodding at him.

They bowed to him as they walked past, and Seto stood up straighter, his anxiety rising higher the longer Yami remained in the detention room.

Yami exited the room and rushed down a set of shallow steps, seeing his owner standing right by the entrance of a long hallway with a solid red carpet, and relief washed over him like a calm wave.

“Thank fuck,” Seto said quietly, feeling his nervousness subside as Yami ran towards him and threw his arms around his waist so tightly, he could feel the air slowly leaving his lungs.

He gripped Yami by his shoulders and leaned him away, feeling him tremble and take deep breaths, attempting to calm himself down.

“Hey…hey,” Seto breathed, reaching up to cup Yami’s face in his palms, his heart thudding loudly in his chest as he watched Yami slowly blink his large angular eyes at him, looking distressed. “I’m sorry…I forgot they checked for that. I’m sorry, okay?”

Yami nodded silently, trying to calm himself down. His arms and legs felt weak, and his owner’s hands left damp patches across his cheeks, and he realized Seto had been just as nervous.

“This way,” said Seto, grabbing Yami’s hand and leading him towards the elevator.

Yami stared at the set of golden doors so hard, his eyes began to water.

The guard standing by the buttons accepted the two tickets from his owner and gestured for them to walk through the doors.

Yami blinked, staring out through the glass enclosure, unable to believe his eyes.

He could see right through the glass and straight into the luxurious settings of the ship. A golden spiral staircase, leading down to what looked like a ballroom, with several large, plush chairs and tables sitting at the edges. The lift began rising upwards, and Yami’s chest tightened so much, he could barely breathe.

Every layer, there were people in milling small groups, dressed in pretty clothes and holding wine glasses, chatting merrily.

As they ascended higher into the ship, Yami caught glimpses of white table cloths and many people dining together in large groups, their plates piled high with colorful meats and vegetables.

His mouth watered, and the glass went dark as the they went higher.  
Yami was beginning to wonder how tall this ship was.

He leaned back against the ornate bars lining the box, staring at the back of his owner’s head, his heart feeling as if it was going to explode out of his chest with excitement.

Was this a ship? Or was it a building on water?!  
Would his owner explore this ship with him?  
Could he go alone?  
Would he get lost?  
Was there a map he could use?

The lift stopped, and the mirrored doors opened into a long hallway lined with beautiful soft lights and a luxurious beige carpet.

Yami marveled at it all, seeing his owner’s head turning to stare at the unmarked doors, which were all several paces apart, and he hurried to catch up with Seto’s long strides, seeing him approach a door at the far end of the spacious hallway and slide out his phone.

Yami stared at his owner’s slender fingers tapping across the screen, only catching a glimpse of the word, “card” before the screen turned white, and then green, and the lock clicked open.

Amazed, Yami watched Seto lean the door open and he bit back a gasp, his eyes darting around the room, unsure of what to look at first.

The bed was large, with a beautiful dark velvet headboard with steel nightstands flanking its sides. A set of couches were sitting together in the shape of a large L, surrounding a low glass table, where a giant vase of flowers sat, and Yami rushed towards it, cupping his hands around a large sunflower, amazed at how soft the petals felt in his hands.

He gazed out past the couches, seeing large screens hanging on every wall, one even facing what looked like a miniature kitchen, and a narrow hallway led down into what Yami assumed was the bathroom.

He watched Seto stride towards the curtains and throw them back, turning to smile at him handsomely.

“Look here.…”

Yami didn’t need to be told twice.

He raced towards the glass panes, seeing the ocean horizon just past the golden railings lining the balcony, and he pointed at the latch.

Seto nodded and slid the door back, deeply amused to see Yami step out and crane his head over the railing to stare down at the waves lapping at the sides of the ship, the wind whipping his tri-colored hair around his face. Cute.

Yami leaned down as far as he could go, placing his feet on one of the rails, staring down into water, hearing his owner hiss and grab him around the waist, lowering him back onto the floor. “Don’t fucking do that. You’ll fall.”

Too excited to care, Yami raced back inside the room and threw himself down on the bed, bouncing excitedly on the spongy mattress, kicking off his shoes and lying back to stare up at the ceiling, noting that wasn’t as high as he’d originally thought.

The lights were set into the ceiling, and little halos dotted the plane above him.  
  
Suddenly, the bed dipped down and his owner’s face appeared above him, grinning handsomely.

Blinking in astonishment, Yami smiled warmly, and Seto dipped his head down to kiss him deeply, relishing in the softness of Yami’s lips, drowning in his sweet scent, and Yami lifted his knees up to squeeze his sides encouragingly.

Deeply aroused, Seto ran his palm up Yami’s side, marveling at the hard curves, his mind spinning with a mixture of apprehension and lust.  
He couldn’t help but think that this was it.  
His first male experience…was going to be with this pretty, olive-skinned foreigner who had been dumped on his doorstep a few months ago.

Yami’s ankles locked behind his back, and Seto’s elbows gave out beneath him as Yami pulled him forcefully downwards, managing to roll on top of him, his knees still gripping his hips strongly. The air was slowly being crushed out of his lungs as Yami pinned him down, his teeth grazing deliciously down his neck, causing him to shiver happily.

Yami rocked his hips downwards furiously, baring his teeth and giving his owner’s collarbone another playful bite, half-hoping it hurt, feeling Seto tense powerfully beneath him.  
This selfish man needed to learn how to be more generous in bed.

Yami eased up and lifted his shirt off his body, his skin burning as he could feel his owner’s eyes following his every move, and Yami threw caution to the wind, shoving a hand down his pants, shamelessly touching himself while his owner shot him a glare.

Yami could feel his knuckles brushing up against Seto’s boner as he sat stubbornly on his legs, smirking.

 _“You can watch me finish on top of you now, you selfish asshole,”_ Yami said devilishly, his tongue slipping on his words as he realized he wasn’t speaking Japanese.

Seto leaned back onto mattress, feeling his head spin violently as Yami’s words rang in his ears, only understanding some of it.

_“You can watch me…you…asshole…”_

Fine.

Seto folded his arms behind his head, grinning in amusement, which seemed to only make Yami angrier. He stared pointedly at Yami’s hand which was awkwardly angled inside his own pants, and he bit back a laugh. “Take them off.”

Yami grit his teeth, feeling his eyes burn with effort as he eased himself up on his knees and inched his pants down his thighs, enjoying the way his owner’s eyes followed his every movement, and he felt his chest swell with glee.  
This was good!  
  
He knew Seto enjoyed watching him very much, so Yami began to masturbate in earnest, staring down at his own hand moving up and down along his shaft, his stomach curling with each stroke, and he gazed down at Seto’s clothed boner right underneath his own knuckles.

Deciding he wanted to touch it again, Yami clumsily undid Seto’s belt, pushing the heavy buckle aside to work the button, his fingers slipping down the zipper hastily, seeing his owner’s hand come down to help, his slender fingers looping through the band of his underwear to inch the waistband down, freeing his erection, which was slightly red at the tip.

 _Ah…from earlier!_ Yami thought fiendishly, bucking his hips forwards, making their tips meet and rub together pleasurably, earning him a solid gasp from his owner, and Yami felt his head rush with a mixture of heavy lust and deep satisfaction as he palmed both of their heads and gave them firm rubs.  
It felt good.  
Everything always felt good whenever he pulled his pants down in front of Seto.  
This meant, even having his hole dirtied would feel heavenly.

Seto felt Yami sliding his pants off and looping them off his ankles, tugging with difficulty, and he reached forwards to clumsily shake them off from around his feet, hearing Yami’s laugh ringing delightfully in his ears, and he felt his vision fade as Yami’s weight pressed into him wonderfully from above.

He propped himself up on his elbows, just in time to see a spiky head duck down between his legs, and a hot, searing sensation engulfed his dick, causing him to spasm with ecstasy. Biting back a cry, Seto thunked his head heavily back onto the mattress, his chest and stomach tightening and clenching at different intervals.

Holy fucking shit.

Yami smirked, feeling his owner’s legs jerking and twitching beneath him, and he inched himself down lower, his knees hitting the floor as he kept himself propped up on the edge of the bed by his elbows, staring intently at his owner’s balls which draped softly down between slender legs, sitting plumply right above a very pale, very pink hole, and Yami felt his stomach twist violently with a strange feeling.  
  
His owner’s hole.

Without hesitation, Yami pressed his nose firmly into the base of his owner’s sack and gave Seto’s hole a tentative lick, enjoying the way knees came tightening painfully around his head.

“F-Fuck,” Seto hissed, reaching down to grab a fistful of Yami’s spiky hair, attempting to push him away while he felt himself convulse strangely.  
Everything was hot, and every time Yami’s tongue thudded across his asshole, he felt as if he was suspended in mid-air, with everything just out of reach.

Seto stretched his fingertips out, gathering the sheets thickly beneath his hands, biting back a gasp as Yami’s teeth scraped sensually along the inside of his crack, and he tensed, a heavy bubble of arousal landing low in his crotch, and he felt like wetting himself.

Seto attempted to pry his eyelids open, seeing his own knees propped up, shaking. The room spun violently in his vision, with Yami’s head nowhere to be seen, and he felt a hot breath graze warmly against his balls, causing a small tremor of pleasure to course through his body. He couldn’t stop shivering.  
Holy fuck! What was this feeling?

Yami grinned to himself and parted his mouth wider, licking, teething, sucking at any bit of flesh he could reach with his mouth, drowning in Seto’s sweet musk, reaching up to grab his owner’s length, giving it slow, loving strokes as he padded his tongue up Seto’s balls and sucked lightly, hearing his owner let out a panicked shout.  
  
“Fuck!”

Yami jerked his head back frantically, his heart thundering his chest, wondering if he had done something wrong.

Seto’s stomach clenched emptily as the heat left his core and he propped himself up on his elbows again, his body heavy with lust, his tongue swelling as he could barely get the words out, “Don’t…fucking stop…!”

He reached his legs out and locked them around Yami’s neck, pushing his spiky head down towards his hole, his chest heaving with light pants as he felt himself clench with arousal. “Do it until I cum.”

Yami felt his owner’s heels knock painfully across his shoulder blades and his palms hit the mattress. His eyes watering heavily, Yami pressed his mouth against the back of Seto’s thighs, giving him a firm bite, hearing his owner hiss.

“Lower,” Seto demanded, feeling his head beginning to clear as Yami’s hands gripped his thighs and spread him wider. He felt Yami’s nose press into the base of his balls and he shivered pleasurably, thinking that the women he had been with were never bold enough to go lower.  
Yami’s tongue shoved heatedly through Seto’s hole and Seto threw himself back onto the mattress, his vision fading into white as he bit back ecstatic gasp.  
It was hot and heavenly.  
More.  
Thicker.  
Deeper.  
More.

“….More,” Seto managed through clenched teeth, and Yami was beginning to panic, thinking he had already done everything he could have. He had roughly sucked each one of his owner’s balls, bit and licked the skin along the inner thighs, even slamming his head down along Seto’s length for good measure before kissing his way back down to his hole, which he was now fervidly licking and sucking, making sure to thrust the tip of his tongue firmly in through the clenching rim, and Seto was _still_ asking for more.

Yami held his breath and pressed his face further between Seto’s ass cheeks, swirling his tongue playfully over his anus, messily prodding at the hole with his tongue, knowing it felt good.

He deeply enjoyed the way his owner’s legs were twitching above his head, and he leaned back for air, tracing the hole gently with the pad of his finger, and Seto could feel himself coming apart at just the thought of having a finger shoved inside of him.

“Fucking…stop playing around, put it in!” Seto hissed, slapping his hand insistently down on the mattress, causing the comforter to poof upwards slightly, his desperate gaze meeting Yami’s dark stare.

Yami ignored him, raking his gaze down Seto’s body, seeing his chest heaving, his hair tousled handsomely across his forehead, and he aimed his stare at the pink, clenching hole once more, dispassionately shoving his index finger in as deep as it would go, watching the rim clench deliciously around his knuckle, and he slid his finger out again before shoving it right back in, the burning heat from Seto’s insides traveling up his finger and landing straight into his groin.  
  
Yami felt his dick twitch and pulse with need.  
Oh…he wanted to shove his dick into Seto’s wonderful, tight hole.  
Could he?

Seto shut his eyes and threw his head back, feeling Yami thrust his finger repeatedly into him, each time filling him with an indescribable, delicious heat, and he ached for more.  
More of everything.  
Two fingers. Or even three.  
More tongue.  
Yami’s dick.  
It didn’t matter.  
He just wanted more, and he wanted to cum with that heated feeling curling low in his stomach.

Yami was enjoying himself immensely, shoving and twisting his finger deeper inside of Seto, his shoulders growing heavy with the weight of his owner’s legs draping over them, and he eased himself up on the mattress, carefully extracting his finger and placing the head of his dick firmly against Seto’s entrance, bucking his hips forwards tentatively, shivering as a wave of heat washed over him from just the tip of his dick grazing Seto’s rim, causing his heart to race and his brow to sweat.

“I want to be…in here,” Yami said clumsily, wondering if he had said it right, and he saw his owner ignore him, cursing fluently with one hand thrown over his eyes.

“Let me…” Yami managed, slowly giving Seto’s ass a tight squeeze, feeling his world dip and spin violently as he saw a tight nod.  
Yes.  
  
Yes?

He pushed the head of his penis forwards tentatively, and felt his owner’s hole tightening around the head of his penis so much, the pressure was almost too much to bear, and he hesitated, before attempting to push himself further in, his confusion rising higher as his owner tensed and shook his head.

Seto felt himself stretch thinly as their skin skidded painfully together, and he hissed in pain, lifting his head, his face flushed, his chest heaving, speaking through light, gasping breaths, “…too fucking dry…lube….”

Yami blinked wildly, his erection throbbing and leaking miserably as he glanced frantically around the room, spying their bags sitting on the couch behind him.

He dropped Seto’s legs and raced towards them, hastily unzipping the bag and feeling around for the small bottle. His fingers closed triumphantly around cold plastic and he uncapped it, moving back towards the bed, dumping a generous amount all over his fingers and stroking himself carefully between steps, seeing his owner watching him through half-lidded eyes.

“Good?” Yami asked roughly, not waiting for a confirmation as he climbed back onto the bed and grabbed his owner’s legs, lifting them onto his shoulders with a great effort…and he shoved himself heavily into his owner’s hole.

Seto let out a startled yell, feeling Yami slide easily into him, right up to the hilt, and Yami grit his teeth as his vision blurred, feeling himself cum in a sudden heave, shuddering violently as he tried ride out the tight waves of heat from Seto’s hole clenching around his dick.

Seto felt something hot and wet, gush up inside him and he bit his tongue so hard, his eyes watered. He hissed softly, feeling the sticky wetness drip down his ass and pool underneath his lower back.  
Fuck.  
Fuck. Holy fuck.  
Yami had just cum in his ass.  
Where was a fucking condom when you needed one.  
Too fucking late.

Yami shuddered and tried to pull out, feeling Seto clamp his legs harder around his waist, and Seto attempted to glare at him through a haze of lust. “Keep going.”

Yami blinked rapidly, his breath hitching painfully in his chest as he nodded, easing himself forward, seeing his owner gasp and lean his head back onto the mattress, clearly enjoying the feeling.

Slightly envious, Yami began thrusting deeper into Seto, his stomach clenching and twisting strangely as he tried to process the new sensations washing steadily over him.

His owner was clenching so tightly around his dick, all he could feel was a tight, thick heat, and his dick was sensitive.  
His cum was slicking wetly over his own member and gathering nicely around the rim of Seto’s hole, and Yami gazed down at his owner, the image of him splayed out beneath him burned into his mind.  
He felt powerful.  
Every time he slid out, his owner clenched greedily around his cock, and his fingertips whitened over the sheets.  
Every time he rammed himself forwards, Seto would let out a strangled gasp, and his adam’s apple would jump frantically in his throat.  
It felt good.  
It felt good to see that Seto was enjoying this too.

Seto was lost.  
All he could do was feel.  
He felt Yami lift his legs higher and thrust into him harder and faster. Sometimes pausing, before ramming in so deeply, Seto could feel himself coming apart.  
A heated hand came down onto his shaft and gave him rough, firm strokes while Yami’s thickness slid steadily into him, stretching him, filling him with an alien warmth which clawed its way up his entire body and forced its way out his throat.  
His mouth was dry from his fervid pants and gasps.  
He could barely keep his eyes open, and every time he tried, Yami would thrust powerfully into him, causing a deep, curling heat to build in his core and reverberate up into his chest.  
It felt good, like nothing he had ever experienced before, and he could feel himself stretching further as Yami picked up his pace, his fingers digging into his thighs, causing his skin to burn.

Yami’s legs were trembling so much, he could barely remain upright.  
He couldn’t take it anymore. Everything was too hot, and his dick was still very sensitive from his earlier orgasm, so he pulled out, feeling his owner’s legs tightening around his waist once more, trapping him in place.

Hissing in annoyance, Yami furiously shoved himself deeper into Seto’s hole with renewed vigor, fucking him in earnest, seeing his owner arch his back and let out another yell. Seto twisted his body to the side, his vision fading into white as he was assaulted with a series of rough thrusts, and he felt a blinding pulse of pleasure rip through his body as he orgasmed, his semen spilling onto mattress, his body shuddering and heaving uncontrollably as Yami pounded into him relentlessly, his violet eyes narrowed in concentration.

“Fuck…Fuck…!” Seto gasped, wringing the sheets between his hands as Yami showed no signs of stopping. His rim began to chafe and burn as the semen around his anus had begun to dry.

Yami felt as if his body was on fire.  
His mind was clear, and he felt a heightened sense of control as he stared intently at the thick stream of cum dripping off of Seto’s muscular abdomen. The sticky liquid was pooling in the curves of his muscles every time he thrust into Seto, and it was an erotic sight to see.

He saw his owner twisting and writhing beneath him, and he gently slowed his pace, carefully extracting himself and collapsing weakly beside Seto, his head spinning violently as his heart thundered in his chest. His entire body was warm, and he shut his eyes, sinking wonderfully into the soft bed. He felt like he was floating.  
That was…amazing.  
If he hadn’t cum the second he had entered Seto’s hole, he would’ve enjoyed it a lot more.  
Could they do it again later?

“Fuck….” Seto said weakly, throwing an arm over his eyes, his legs trembling uncontrollably as he shivered from the cold. The semen was drying between his ass cheeks and across his stomach, and it was a terrifying feeling.  
  
_My virginity!_ Seto thought, horrified. He shakily propped himself up on his elbows, unable to look down at himself, so he pointed his gaze towards Yami, who was staring at him through half-lidded eyes, smiling softly at him while laying wantonly by his side. His heart skipped several beats and Seto instinctively reached out to brush a strand of Yami’s spiky blonde bangs away from his face, seeing Yami’s eyelids flutter shut as he sighed deeply.

“Did you like that?” Seto asked roughly, not expecting an answer, but to his surprise, Yami nodded, keeping his eyes shut as his head continued to spin.

Biting back a retort, Seto eased off the bed and felt his knees wobbling as he slowly made his way into the bathroom, hearing the soft patter of footsteps behind him as Yami rushed to join him.

Too worn out to protest, Seto let Yami follow him into the shower, and he switched the water on slowly.

Yami wrapped his arms around Seto’s waist, pressing his chin against his skin, enjoying the way the water streamed down his owner’s back. He stared at the light brown strands of hair sitting just above Seto’s shoulders and he smiled to himself. Handsome. Seto had such beautiful, long hair.

Yami reached up to touch it, threading his fingers through it, and gently tugging at it, feeling the water rush powerfully around his ankles as his owner ignored him.

Seto tried not to let Yami’s hands affect him as he slowly rinsed the semen off his legs. After a while, he shut the water off and stepped out, hearing wet footsteps behind him as Yami continued to follow him.

Doing his best to ignore the pounding of his heart, Seto hastily wrapped a towel around his body and hurried out of the bathroom.

Yami paused to admire the rows of soaps lined neatly along the bathroom counter, realizing with a jolt that they were foreign. The labels on the bottles were printed in a language he couldn’t read.

A small card with a golden bow sat on the counter, and Yami snatched it up, reading the gilded font with deep interest.

_“~ VIP GUEST ==== CEO Kaiba Seto + (1 person) ==== Room #890 ~_

_For 24/hr service, dial #450-90_

_Please enjoy your stay,_

_Courtesy of ...”_

He couldn’t read the Kanji in the name, and Yami was too tired to care.  
He could ask Seto later.

He walked out of the bathroom and towards the bed, stark naked, watching Seto gingerly slip his legs underneath the sheets and rolling over silently.

Seto buried himself underneath the covers, his chest tight with anxiety, feeling his face burn with embarrassment.  
Damn.  
He had gotten carried away.  
Did Yami know that was his first time?  
Damn.

Yami frowned, and curiously tapped his owner on the shoulder, inching closer to him on the bed, shivering slightly from the cold. This selfish man was now bundling up beneath the covers all by himself, naked.  
What was his problem?

“Let me in,” Yami demanded, giving his owner’s shoulder a hard nudge.

Seto clenched his teeth and didn’t move. He shut his eyes, wishing for death.

It wasn’t that he had had a bad time.  
In fact, it was a bit too short.  
He would’ve liked for it to have lasted a bit longer.  
Actually, it was great.  
So great, that he wanted to do it again. Maybe even right now.  
So great that Seto feared he wouldn’t be able to find the same kind of release with a woman.

The covers were peeled off his body and Yami’s face hovered inches from his nose, his blonde bangs tickling his cheeks, and Seto looked away pointedly, feeling his eyes water.

“Go away,” he said hollowly, reaching for the covers again, wondering if he ought to expect an apology from the foreigner.  
  
“No.” Yami countered, frowning deeply. He sat stubbornly on his owner’s legs, his knees grazing across a strange lump.

He glanced down and realized Seto was hard.

 _Again?!_ Yami thought, horrified.  
Where was the end?!

Seto shut his eyes and pressed his palms to his face, his stomach twisting with arousal, and his ears ringing with Arabic as Yami spoke gleefully, pointing at his bulge. _“Hey…look at you here.”_

“Shut up. Shut up.” Seto chanted, his head spinning as hot breath grazed down his chest and teeth clamped down around his nipple. He let out a yell and twisted away, hearing Yami laugh delightfully above him, and legs tightened powerfully around his hips, causing his asshole to pulse and twitch strangely.

Fuck.

“I can’t go again. I’ll die.” Seto said seriously, raising his head with a great effort and shooting Yami the dirtiest look he could manage.

He knew Yami could understand him if he spoke slowly and in short phrases, but clearly, he was being ignored.  
Yami was staring down at his erection, his eyes wide with the corners of his mouth curled upwards into a dark, mischievous smile.

 _“Again.”_ Yami said, nodding, giving Seto’s erection a long, loving stroke upwards, laughing gleefully again as he saw Seto’s stomach clench and roll beneath his touch.

 _“No,”_ Seto hissed, shivering as he felt a small curl of pleasure worming its way up his chest as Yami’s hand tightened firmly around his dick.

Yami smiled to himself as he felt a surge of pride, watching as his owner struggled to keep his eyes open. Seto’s angular cheeks were flushed, and his light brown hair was messy, almost completely covering his eyes as he lowered his head down until his chin touched his chest, his body shivering and heaving.

He felt himself clench, and he cursed himself, seeing Yami smirk triumphantly above him before wrapping his hand behind his knee to gently lift his leg.

Fuck.  
No.  
Yami wanted to fuck…again!  
  
His body felt heavy as he twisted away nimbly, feeling Yami let out a cry as he fell off from his body and landed onto the mattress with a soft thump.

Seto scrambled away on all fours, aiming for the couch, realizing instantly that this was a mistake when he felt Yami’s arms tighten around his waist, and a warm, heated length thudded stiffly across his ass cheek. Fuck.  
Fuck.

Yami stared at Seto’s asshole, mesmerized by the soft pinkness, please to see it glistening back at him, still wet from their earlier lovemaking.  
   
He felt a deep yearning sear through his body as he raked his eyes down Seto’s slender back.  
Again.  
It should go in easily since the hole was wet!  
Without hesitating, Yami gripped his owner’s hips and pressed the tip of his dick up against Seto’s entrance, feeling his owner struggle weakly, cursing.

“ _It’ll feel better this time…!”_ Yami coaxed, easing himself forwards, feeling a wonderful, tight heat sucking him in, and Seto stiffened, his body growing hot and cold at the same time as a thick, heated shaft slid into him and hit something high inside of him, causing his elbows to buckle, and his chin hit the edge of the mattress, his head spinning violently as his body was assaulted with wave after wave of clenching pleasure as Yami began to fuck him vigorously, his thickness sliding heavily in and out of him repeatedly, relentlessly, without showing any signs of slowing or mercy, and Seto felt as if he was floating on the highest cloud.  
  
His throat was once again drying out due to his ragged gasps, and the way Yami’s nails dug into his skin felt heavenly.

Heavy waves of pleasure raked through his body, and Seto found that he couldn’t do anything other than focus on the delicious sensation of Yami thrusting into him powerfully, filling him with raw, indescribable happiness.

Yami let his breath out in a slow sigh, leaning forwards to bite gently across his owner’s pale shoulder blades, feeling Seto shudder and convulse underneath him wonderfully. Amazing. Breathtaking.  
  
The way Seto’s muscles rippled beneath him was the most enticing sight, and the sounds of his light gasps filling the air was giving Yami goosebumps.  
Erotic.  
And Yami tensed as a familiar, curling pleasure pooled low in his core, which prompted him to give Seto a few more hard thrusts, feeling his owner clench so tightly around him.  
His vision faded into white as a violent orgasm wrenched its way up his body, and Yami bit back a soft gasp, unable to control his trembling legs which were giving out quickly.  
  
He clung onto Seto tightly, pressing his chin warmly across his back, attempting to keep himself steady.

Seto couldn’t think or breathe.  
He felt Yami tense, shudder, and cum, the semen gushing thickly up inside of him, and Seto spasmed with ecstasy, enjoying the way the hot liquid filled him to the brim and dripped messily down the backs of his thighs. Shivering, he kept his eyes shut, feeling Yami continue to hug him tightly from behind, calling his name softly, “Seto…”

Facedown and unable to move, Seto kept his eyes shut and turned his head to the side, his ears ringing loudly. His chin dragged across something wet, and he pried his eyes open, staring down at the small patch of saliva sitting underneath his nose.  
  
He swallowed dryly, a strange curling feeling settling high in his chest as he realized…Yami had fucked him so hard, he had lost all his bearings…and had fucking drooled on the mattress.  
What the fuck.  
Fuck.

“Seto...?” Yami asked tentatively, feeling his owner clench tightly around him again, and he shuddered happily as electric tingles danced its way up from his groin and spread towards his fingertips. Again? More?  
He could keep shoving his dick into his owner’s hole until tomorrow if Seto wanted to continue!

“Take…it out,” Seto hissed through clenched teeth, dragging the back of his hand underneath his chin, disgusted with himself.  
Fear settled into a cold knot at the pit of his stomach as Yami eased out of him and sat back on his heels, blinking curiously at him.

With a great effort, Seto heaved himself up into a sitting position, seeing the room spin and turn bright green as he wobbled dangerously at the foot of the bed.  
  
He felt faint. He was going to pass out.

“Seto…” Yami began, watching his owner pad towards him on all fours and collapse ungracefully beside him, his light brown hair splayed messily across his face.  
  
He looked as handsome as ever, and Yami bit back an amused laugh, reaching out to gently tousle his owner’s hair, tugging on it playfully as Seto remained still.

“Hey…was that good? Was that better?” Yami asked keenly, frowning as he realized with a jolt that Seto was asleep. “Seto?”

 _Wow_ , Yami thought lightly _. So, he can get angry at me for sleeping afterwards, but it’s perfectly fine when he does it. Hypocrite!_

He slid off the bed and stepped into the bathroom, running a small hand-towel underneath hot water and wringing it out quickly. He walked back to the bed and gently dragged the wet cloth down along Seto’s thighs, thinking his owner’s body was quite muscular…for someone who constantly sat behind a desk.

Yami hurriedly wiped himself off too before tossing the towel aside carelessly onto the floor, and he climbed into the bed, being careful to avoid the patches of wet semen, secretly glad that the bed was large.

He turned his head to gaze out the window briefly and received a slight shock when he saw that it was getting dark outside. His stomach rumbled softly, and Yami felt hungry…but they could eat later.

He yanked the covers up over their bodies and slid down beside Seto’s sleeping form, staring intently into his face, noting how his slender nose dipped down into a pair of soft, feminine lips.

 _He’s…pretty,_ thought Yami, deeply pleased. _It is a little unfair…to others. Because this face belongs to me._

Sighing contentedly, Yami pressed his nose into Seto’s shoulder, inhaling deeply, catching a whiff of the sharp scent of their semen mixed in with Seto’s musk.  
It was an arousing aroma, and Yami snuggled closer against Seto’s warmth.

Yami felt himself smile and he reached down to grab Seto’s arm, pulling it up out of the sheets, waving it playfully in the air, seeing his owner’s hand flopping this way and that, his slender fingers limp, his oval-shaped nails gleaming in the soft light.  
  
Pressing Seto’s hand to his lips, Yami shut his eyes and tried to calm the frantic beating of his heart.

If he didn’t know any better, he would say that he felt deep affection towards this man. Towards every part of this man and his personality.  
Seto was kind, handsome, and intelligent, with just the right amount of selfish.

“I’ve decided,” Yami said to himself, sliding his hand into Seto’s much larger one, marveling at the color difference of their skin. “I like you, Seto.”

He shut his eyes and let sleep wash over him like a warm blanket.

* * *

Seto felt incredibly warm.  
He stretched slightly and felt his back ache.  
  
Frowning, he opened his eyes and sat up slowly, realizing the room was pitch black, and everything seemed to be swaying gently. The ship was moving….

His arm was trapped, and Seto carefully extracted himself, his fingers unnaturally stiff as he realized his hand had been curled around Yami’s hand. Cursing himself for being a romantic, he patted around his head for his phone, feeling nothing but air and a large pillow. He stuck his hand underneath it, clawing for his phone, his fingers closing around empty sheets, and he cursed.  
Where the fuck was his phone?  
There were no fucking lights in the room.

He sat up dizzily, and a wet stream of liquid pooled thinly around his lower back, and he froze, cold terror trickling through him slowly as he realized…it was cum.

Gritting his teeth, he threw the covers off himself and his knees buckled the instant his feet touched the floor, and a stinging pain reverberated up from his knees, paralyzing him on the spot.

“F-Fuck!” Seto cursed, grabbing onto the edge of the bed blindly, wishing he could will the lights on with his mind. If he remembered correctly, he had left his phone on the couch…somewhere?

Yami felt the bed dip down suddenly and his owner’s voice cursing. He jolted awake, bolting upright, his anxiety rising as he realized it was so dark in the room, he couldn’t even see his own hand in front of his face.

“Seto?!” Yami called out frantically, hearing his owner curse again before answering.  
  
“I’m fucking here. Get my phone.”

 _Phone…phone,_ Yami thought frantically, racking his brain as he tried to remember where he had last seen Seto leave down his phone. The table by the couch.

The couch was…twelve paces forwards from the edge of the bed, and the table was two paces away from the couch.

Yami’s fingers curled over the edge of the mattress as he nimbly climbed off the bed, and he counted his movements methodically, thinking of all the time he’d spent navigating dark alleyways filled with debris in the middle of the night.  
It definitely a useful skill now.

His hip grazed along the soft edge of the couch and Yami followed the entire edge, circling it until his shin wedged tightly up against the low glass table. He bent down, sweeping his hands across the surface until his fingers closed around a thin, metallic rectangle. Phone.

He turned, mentally recalled where he had last seen the light switch, and counted his paces towards the door.

“Yami?” Seto frowned, hearing soft rustling moving farther and farther away from him. Where the fuck was Yami going? His anxiety rose higher as he received no answer. “Yami?!”

His eyes stung as the lights flickered on, and Seto was rooted to the spot with shock. Was Yami a cat?! Or a demon?! It had been dark as fuck! So dark, he couldn’t even see his own fucking hand!

“Phone,” Yami said triumphantly, grinning as he held it up, and Seto blinked, feeling himself flush as he saw that Yami was still naked.

Yami made his way back towards the bed, wondering why Seto was sitting on the floor by the nightstand. It looked as if he had tried to crawl out of bed and had only made it to the floor.  
  
Hilarious. This man was hopeless!

He handed Seto his phone, watching him slowly claw his way back up onto the bed, glaring.

 _What would you have done if I hadn’t gotten you your phone?_ Yami thought teasingly, watching Seto tap his phone quickly, and the low hum of the heater switched on.

Pleased, Yami smiled. Seto glanced at him quickly, and Yami made the gesture for a phone by stretching out his thumb and pinky and placing it to his ear. “Food!”

Call the room service for food.

Seto blinked rapidly and nodded, his stomach gnarling with hunger.  
What was the number on the card for the 24-hour room service?  
The card was in the bathroom…. Fuck.  
And he couldn’t fucking walk because it felt like Yami’s dick was still stuck up his ass.

Yami watched his owner stare blankly at him, and he sighed, exasperated.  
This man, however smart, _was_ hopeless at times.

“ _450-90!”_ Yami exclaimed tiredly, pointing at the phone, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Seto bit his tongue so hard, his eyes watered. Right. He had seen the service number on the card too, briefly, but Yami had apparently memorized it. Damn.

He dialed the number, watching as Yami pointed at the screen excitedly.  
Let’s watch the TV.

Seto nodded and hastily ordered a bottle of wine along with the food, before hanging up, seeing Yami beam brightly at him.

God…this kid was so pretty. Did he know that?  
Did he also know that his ass was chafing and burning?

“Hey, you were too rough earlier,” Seto said gruffly, watching the smile slide slowly off from Yami’s face.

“I’m sorry,” Yami answered fluently, not feeling sorry at all.

“Yeah fucking right,” Seto growled, tossing his phone at Yami. “Choose whatever you want.”

Yami snatched the phone up delightedly, seeing a series of channel numbers panning down the screen. Amazing! This would be a fun thing to explore!

He powered the screen on and slid onto his stomach, facing the screen, not caring that he was putting his feet on the pillows.  
He knew his owner liked his feet.  
Maybe if he got lucky, Seto would touch his feet while they watched the TV together.

Grinning at the thought, Yami kicked his legs happily and felt a warm hand caress his calf. He twisted around to shoot Seto a grin, seeing Seto smile softly back at him, and his heart soared.

Handsome.  
Kind, and gentle.  
   
This man…was someone he would willingly spend the rest of his life with.

With that thought floating lightly around in his mind, Yami turned his attention back to the TV, tapping happily on the phone screen, searching for the show with the stitched puppets he knew Seto enjoyed watching so much.

* * *

Author’s note:

Happy Chinese New Year!!  
Happy end-of-midterms (for people on a quarter system like meee)!!  
Happy (belated) Valentine’s day (and birthday to meee)!!

So many things happened this week, I barely finished this chapter by the skin of my teeth.  
  
AND SUCH AN IMPORTANT CHAPTER TOO!!  
DID YOU GUYS LIKE IT?!?!

Hugs,  
UGLI


	19. I want to breathe fresh air

Seto felt himself drifting off again, with the sounds of the TV floating gently around in the room.

He heard a soft knock at the door, and a male voice called out, “Service!”

Yami perked up and bounded off the bed, hearing Seto hiss at him frantically, “Clothes!”

Yami glanced down at himself and reddened. He circled back to the bed, searching for his clothes. He had been so excited about the food, he had forgotten he was naked.

He swept his pants up off the floor and stepped into them, watching Seto blink softly at him, making no move to get off the bed.

The knock sounded at the door again. “Service!” called the voice.

Yami didn’t bother looking for his shirt, and he raced to the door, pulling it open breathlessly, seeing a man standing before a large silver cart, heavily laden with food.

His mouth watering, Yami stood aside and let the man wheel the cart in, parking it in the middle of the room. The man bowed deeply, “Anything else?”

Yami glanced towards his owner, shocked to see that Seto had disappeared underneath the covers as an unmoving lump.

“No. Thank you,” Yami said politely, biting back a laugh. The man straightened up and stared at him for a long time, and Yami wondered what he wanted.

“Tip.” Seto’s voice came muffled from beneath the sheets, and Yami frowned, scanning the room for his owner’s pants, feeling his embarrassment rise as he knew the man could see their clothes strewn messily across the floor.

He spotted Seto’s trousers in a crumpled heap at the foot of the bed, and he hastily picked them up, dipping his hands into the pockets, searching for a wallet.

Yami yanked a thin leather wallet out from one of the back pockets and shakily fanned through the cash, slipping out a 10,000 yen note and handing it to the man, his stomach swooping as he realized his owner didn’t carry any bills smaller than that.  
  
The man accepted it with both of his gloved hands, bowing deeply again before leaving, quietly shutting the door with a soft click.  
  
“Hey…” Yami said carefully, tossing the wallet at his owner, seeing it hit his shoulder with a soft thump. He hoped Seto wasn’t going to be angry about having tipped 10,000 yen.

When Seto didn’t move, Yami decided to ignore him, turning to the cart full of food, his mouth watering heavily as he spied the plates of meats, cheeses, fruits, and pastries. The golden neck of a champagne bottle peeked out from the bottom of the cart and Yami snatched it up readily, smirking triumphantly to himself. He was in the mood to celebrate.

Seto slowly inched into a sitting position, his cheeks burning with humiliation as he wondered if the staff member would report the state of his room to the media. And Yami was shirtless! He was sniffing around a large platter of beautifully arranged vegetables and dip, and Seto felt his heart race as he gazed at Yami’s slender hands gripping the bottle of champagne.

He watched as Yami grabbed the bottle opener off the cart and popped the cork off expertly, grinning as the liquid bubbled and fizzed down the side, and Seto felt his body burn as Yami licked his hands, his tongue flicking out over his wet knuckles.

Yami scanned the cart for glasses, and found none. Seto saw Yami ducking around the cart, clearly searching for glasses, and he snorted, “Just drink it from the bottle. No one is watching.”

Yami felt himself smile, and nodded, moving towards the bed with the bottle outstretched in his hands, offering Seto the first sip.

“No thanks,” Seto said roughly, biting his tongue and looking away.  
If he drank, he wouldn’t stop. It would probably lead to more sex…and he wasn’t sure how Yami felt about that. His asshole itched, and he groaned, rolling over onto his side, feeling his legs thrum with a burning heat.  
He was aroused. Again.  
He felt the tip of his dick leak, and he cursed under his breath.

Yami tilted his head back and let the bubbly liquid slide down his throat, enjoying the refreshing taste, and his eyes stung from the sharp alcohol. He grabbed a handful of grapes along with a peach, and he climbed onto the bed, grinning at Seto, offering him a grape.

“Not hungry,” Seto said dryly, watching Yami take another graceful swig from the champagne bottle and he stared at Yami’s lips, seeing them glisten at him in the low lights.

Yami felt his owner’s eyes on his face, and he smiled, his confusion rising as Seto leaned in really close to him, his nose touching his cheek, and warm lips brushed against his jawline. Yami froze, his chest tightening as Seto traced his lips down his neck and sucked lightly at his skin, sending goosebumps rising along his skin.

“Seto…” Yami began, and warm hands wrapped around his waist, pulling him into a tight embrace. He was hungry and wanted to eat!

“Kiss,” Seto said quietly, nuzzling his nose into the soft spot behind Yami’s ear, inhaling deeply, enjoying Yami’s unique scent mixed in with champagne.  
He bit down into the skin of Yami’s neck and rolled his teeth over the surface, feeling Yami shiver happily.

Yami gripped the champagne bottle tightly, unsure of what to do with it. He wanted to throw his arms around Seto’s neck, but do that, he would have to set the bottle down somewhere!

Seto pulled away and stared gleefully at the dark bruise he had left on Yami’s neck.  
It was highly visible, just under his ear, and he smirked. There. He had successfully marked his territory.

“Mine,” Seto grinned. Yami draped his arms around his neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss, their tongues dancing warmly together in a happy union, and Seto felt lust gnawing at his insides.

“I’m hungry,” Yami protested as he pulled away, giving Seto a soft nudge with his elbow, feeling his owner back away respectfully and continue staring at him with his angular blue eyes.

He inched off the bed and took another long gulp of the champagne before setting it down onto the nightstand, and Seto eyed the bottle longingly. Maybe just a sip.

 _No,_ Seto berated himself, hearing the silverware clicking as Yami helped himself to the food on the cart. Drinking here, now, while he was alone with Yami, was dangerous.

Yami caught Seto glancing at the bottle multiple times, and he sighed, thinking his owner was being stupid again. If he wanted to drink it, he could!

“Drink!” Yami urged, feeling pleasantly full as he slowly climbed back onto the bed, watching Seto shake his head.

Seto stared blankly at the TV behind Yami’s head, the stitched puppets dancing in his vision as he felt a warm hand on his knee.

Yami leaned upwards and kissed Seto gently on the lips, feeling his owner reach a hand out to pull their heads closer together, his tongue flicking out to lick the roof of his mouth, desperate and hungry.

 _Again?!_ Yami thought excitedly, feeling his thighs ache.  
Why was his owner suddenly so insatiable?  
He didn’t mind.  
After all, his own hole wasn’t the one being dirtied.

Seto felt his head spin wonderfully and he pressed his forehead against Yami’s shoulder, trying to calm himself down. Yami brought out something raw and terrifying inside of him, and he wanted it to never end.

Yami felt himself tremble, feeling Seto’s hot breath panning down the nape of his neck, and he spoke up, hearing his own voice shake uncharacteristically. “Seto…I’m tired.”

“I’m tired all the time,” Seto responded playfully, giving Yami’s arm a long, slow squeeze, enjoying the way the muscles rippled beneath his touch.

Damn, whatever the hell it was Yami was doing in the house while he wasn’t around was really bulking him up.  
And it was sexy as fuck.  
  
Was Yami doing it to impress him?  
Or was Yami doing it for himself?

“Are you...for me?” Yami heard Seto say, and his heart raced frantically in his chest as he failed to understand the phrase in the middle of the sentence.

 _Am I what…for him?_ Yami wondered faintly, and he saw Seto’s gaze drift towards the alcohol again.

 _Oh for god’s sake, just have some!_ Yami thought angrily, and he grabbed the neck of the bottle, shoving it towards his owner, watching Seto push the bottle away, frowning.

“Drink,” Yami commanded, seeing Seto frown at him, and he began to lose his patience. This man…was so strange!

“You drink it,” Seto replied slowly, feeling his boner ache and throb beneath the sheets, secretly hoping that if he made Yami angry enough, they’d fuck again.

Yami narrowed his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest as he wondered if Seto was messing with him. Either way, even if he was, his hole was safe.

Gathering his confidence, Yami pushed the covers off himself and sat carefully atop Seto’s legs, holding the bottle before him, mustering up the most threatening glare he could manage. “Drink…or else.”

“Or else what?” Seto shot back, and he felt his heart leap into his throat when Yami flashed him an exasperated look, coupled with a dark glare.

Yami sighed and gave up. He eased himself off from his owner’s legs and set the bottle back onto the nightstand before snuggling down into sheets, staring at the TV without really seeing it, the puppet’s voices ringing in his ears.

_“I’m not feeling too well today, Red, I’m sorry, I have to go home…!”_

_“Aw, Blue, we just got here! Please stay a while longer! We’re going to have fun!”_

_“I’m sick…! My stomach hurts and my nose is stuffy! I don’t want to get you sick!”_

_“I’m invincible! I won’t get sick hahaha!”_

Yami felt Seto shift beside him, and watched as he slowly got up off the bed and wobbled towards the bathroom. Biting back a laugh, Yami grabbed the alcohol off the nightstand and followed him steadily into the bathroom, enjoying the way his pale buttocks were tensing with each step he took.

Seto shot him a glare over his shoulder and pointed at the door, feeling his resolve slipping as he noticed Yami looked unusually eager, carrying the champagne bottle while smirking at him, standing confidently naked in the doorway of the bathroom.

Yami raked his eyes shamelessly down Seto’s nude form, gleefully staring at the way his boner jutted out visibly from his body. This man…was so beautiful.  
He really looked like a sculpture!

“I want to shower alone,” Seto said numbly, cursing himself internally for forgetting his phone. The translator app would be useful for times like this.

Yami shook his head and smiled brightly, pointing at the bathtub. Let’s drink and bathe together!

Seto grit his teeth and shook his head, thinking Yami was misunderstanding him. Damn. He was going to have to walk all the way back to the damn bed to get his damn phone.

He shook his head again and moved past Yami slowly, feeling his skin burn as Yami’s eyes followed his every move.

Yami took another drink from the bottle, feeling his head spin pleasantly as he watched his owner lean over the end of the bed to pat the mattress on his phone, and Yami caught a glimpse of Seto’s hole.

He smirked, advancing towards him, thinking he wanted to feel the delicious warmth around his dick again, and he now knew that Seto would let him. He set the bottle on the floor and threw his arms around Seto’s waist, nuzzling his nose into the hard curves of his owner’s back muscles, inhaling deeply.

 _“I want to do it again…”_ Yami said excitedly, feeling his dick twitch and slowly stand at attention. He pressed himself forward insistently, feeling Seto tense in his arms.

Seto grit his teeth, his eyes watering with effort as he swept his hands beneath the pillows, searching for his phone which had once again vanished.

Yami shut his eyes and felt the room spin. He loved the feeling of his owner tensing against him.

Yami let out a soft sigh and smelled the alcohol on his own breath.

He froze, blinking rapidly as he realized he was...slightly drunk. Without a cup to measure how much he had been drinking, he had just taken sip after sip directly from the bottle!

“Get…off,” Seto breathed, his boner pressing wonderfully into the edge of the bed in front of him, and he could feel Yami’s hands roaming over his chest and abdomen, the pads of his gentle fingers sending warm shivers down his spine.  
Damn, he had wanted a bath…not another fuck!  
What time was it anyway?

Seto twisted his head around to look out the dark window, a strange feeling curling in his chest as he realized, he and Yami had fucked the day away…yesterday, and Yami showed no signs of stopping. He could feel Yami’s hands slipping across his back and reaching down to give his ass cheeks a firm grope, and he shuddered happily.  
Yami’s hands on his skin were cool, but they burned with every touch, and Seto found his knees weakening along with his resolve.

 _It would feel even better because I’m drunk_ , Yami thought devilishly, easing himself down onto his knees to bury his face between Seto’s soft cheeks, flicking his tongue out daringly to lick the crack, enjoying the way Seto let out another soft hiss and his buttocks clenched beautifully again.

Yami gently dipped his thumb into the soft curve and gently spread Seto’s cheeks, his heart thudding so loudly in his chest, he could barely hear himself think. He wanted to. He wanted to shove his dick into this soft, pink, clenching hole and never stop. His owner wasn’t fighting, or running away. In fact, Seto was quite still, bent over the edge of the mattress with his palms flat on the sheets.

“Again…” Yami said quietly, pressing his mouth firmly into his owner’s crack and giving the hole a firm lick, tasting the light saltiness left over from their earlier love making. Ah…that was why Seto wanted to wash…but…that was too troublesome. He had a better idea.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Seto gasped, tensing as he felt Yami’s warmth leave his backside, and he heard a cold sloshing behind him.

He craned his neck to look, and froze with horror when he saw Yami pouring a generous amount of champagne into his hand, only to slap it wetly across the base of his ass, his soft fingers trailing along the underside of his butt cheeks to slowly rub his hole, his warm finger sliding up and down over his clenching rim, sending heated shocks of pleasure rocking his entire body as Yami’s finger slid up and down his entire crack before reaching forwards to gently palm his balls.

F-Fuck…that felt good.

 _There, clean!_ Yami thought happily, seeing the pink hole gleaming back at him, wet with alcohol, and his stomach twisted with arousal. Now…could he?

He stood carefully and nudged the tip of his penis against the edge of Seto’s hole, seeing the sheets twist in front of him as Seto grabbed them tightly, bracing himself.

Yami held his breath and pushed, feeling Seto’s hole suck him in eagerly, and Yami trembled with incredulity. Every time he entered his owner, it felt different, hot, and wonderful. He would never tire of this feeling!

Seto’s vision faded into white as he spasmed slightly, feeling Yami’s thighs grazing his buttocks, and Yami’s skin felt amazingly soft against his own. He could feel Yami’s stiffness filling him easily, again, and he wondered why Yami wasn’t moving. Irritated, Seto flexed his arms and pushed back against Yami’s dick, hearing Yami let out a slight gasp as his hole slid down deeper along Yami’s length. Move, dammit!

Yami could feel his knees threatening to give out as he watched Seto back himself down onto his dick, and he lost every bit of his resolve. He rammed himself forward forcefully, hearing his owner let out a guttural yell, and he took this as a good sign. More!

He began thrusting violently into Seto, in a frenzied rush, occasionally slowing down to let the deep, heated pleasure build at the base of his cock, and he picked his pace up again, seeing his owner tuck his forearm under his eyes, his brown hair wonderfully messy.

Yami reached out to grab a handful of it, seeing his owner arch back into his touch and his desperate gasps once again filled the room, and Yami almost came on the spot. He wanted to lean forward to bite down on the soft, pale flesh of his owner’s neck, but he couldn’t reach. His owner’s upper body was way larger than his, and his mouth only reached the base of Seto’s shoulder blades as he continued to shove himself relentlessly into Seto’s hole.

Seto’s mind went black and his body went numb from arousal as he felt Yami’s thickness sliding in and out of him so fast, he could barely sort all the feelings out.  
What was happening?  
Yami slowed his pace and thrust into him deeply, once, hitting a soft, high point inside of him, and Seto shut his eyes, unable to think anymore, his body convulsing with pleasure.  
Sex.  
This was sex…with a man….!

He felt Yami pull out all the way, pause for a moment, before slowly easing back into him, and he relished in the burning heat that consumed his entire body. Amazing.

He felt Yami lean into him heavily, and a thick, sticky liquid dripped down the back of his thighs and Seto realized with a jolt that Yami had already cum…without him!

His dick throbbed back at him angrily and Seto found that he couldn’t move his arms. He couldn’t move. And he still hadn’t finished. Fuck.

Yami seemed to sense this, and immediately inched a hand down his side, caressing his hip gently before his fingers closed around penis, giving his slit a rough rub, sending another violent shock of pleasure running through Seto’s body.

Seto hissed, feeling his stomach turn and clench emptily, sending a soft wave of nausea up his core, and he licked his lips. His throat was as dry as sandpaper and it hurt to swallow his own saliva. His mouth had been open, panting so fucking much, his insides were drying out. Damn, could Yami ease up?

He shuddered suddenly as Yami’s hand tightened around his cock and gave him several firm pumps, causing his stomach to curl with emptiness again. Hey…could Yami do that while his dick was inside?

Seto shivered, feeling Yami’s dick pressing wetly against the back of his buttock, and he could hear Yami’s soft pants.

“Hey…put it in…” Seto demanded weakly, reaching down to grab Yami’s wrist.

Yami shook his head frantically. He couldn’t anymore! His dick felt so sensitive, it was beginning to hurt!

He let go of Seto’s hardness and leaned away, seeing his owner double over, cursing.

“Hey, you selfish piece of shit…” Seto growled, attempting to turn around, but his arms wouldn’t obey him. 

Yami heard Seto insult him, and he felt a rush of annoyance. Selfish piece of shit?! Selfish? Really?

He glanced at the bottle of alcohol sitting at the foot of the bed, and he picked it up, viciously sloshing some of the contents across Seto’s backside, and Seto let out a yell. He heaved himself up onto the bed, his thighs burning as he crawled across the surface, eager to get away from Yami.

Yami bounded onto the bed, regretting the fact that he had spilled most of the champagne onto Seto, because he had wanted to drink the rest, but now, he had something different in mind.

He kept his gaze steadily on Seto’s ass, firmly grabbing one cheek and squeezing it once before attempting to pour the rest of the champagne down his owner’s crack.

Seto blinked wildly, his elbows giving out as he felt Yami grab him strongly by the hips, and a cold sensation passed over his rim, causing him to clench miserably with his dick leaking onto the pillows under him.

What the fuck?! He wasn’t up for this…ass-play.

“Stop fucking…playing,” Seto hissed through clenched teeth, fully aware that he wasn’t in the position to be demanding anything. He had been pushed facedown once again, with his ass lifted high in the air, and the cold sensation nudged along his hole before something thick slid past his rim, causing him to clench tightly around it.  
  
Cold liquid streamed down his legs and Seto cursed, feeling some of the slosh up inside him and he spasmed again, his body shivering uncontrollably as he realized with deep horror that Yami had somehow managed to stick the mouth of the champagne bottle up his ass. Holy fuck!

The champagne was now soaking into the sheets around his knees.

“Take it out!” Seto demanded, feeling Yami’s warm hands giving his balls a firm squeeze before roaming towards his dick, giving him a firm stroke upwards, and Seto suppressed a tight shudder. He was going cum.  
God…fucking…. dammit!

Yami shifted himself on the bed, his knees sinking softly into the mattress as he moved himself in a better position for a better grip around Seto’s penis. He made sure to keep the bottle balanced in his other hand, as he stroked Seto’s hardness, palming his tip and bringing his hand back down to tightly grip the base, feeling Seto shudder pleasurably against his touch, and he stared at the streams of champagne gliding down the back of his owner’s long, slender thighs, mesmerized.  
  
Yami had never seen anything more arousing, and he gave Seto’s dick another tight squeeze coupled with several heavy pumps before gently easing the bottle out of Seto’s ass, thinking enough was enough.

Seto felt his body heave and clench with a sudden, mind-bending orgasm, and he rode the waves out steadily, gasping, feeling Yami’s warmth pressing into him from behind, still giving his dick long strokes, his hand moving up and down along his length mercilessly, even after he came, and Seto could smell the sharp tang of his own semen.

Yami could feel his fingers growing numb as he gave Seto a few more loving strokes before gently uncurling his hand from around his cock, and stared at the redness in his own sticky palm. He gazed down at Seto, seeing him still lying facedown, with his ass sticking comically up in the air, his thighs trembling visibly on the mattress.

Was it good? Was it so good that his owner was still shaking and trembling?

Seto could barely hear himself think. His body was numb but extremely sensitive at the same time, and he could feel his heart thundering in his chest as he remained facedown. A fold in the sheets was pressing uncomfortably into his cheek, but he didn’t care. He was spent, and he felt like he was floating.

He felt Yami give him a gentle nudge, and he fell over onto his side, exhausted. He watched as Yami laid down across from him, grinning widely, carefully avoiding the large wet patch between them.

Seto shut his eyes and felt his head spin.  
Damn…it was fucking intense.  
Every time they did anything, it was fucking intense.

He raised his arm limply and draped it over Yami’s body, hearing Yami chuckle softly beside him. Seto tensed and dug his nails into Yami’s side, feeling Yami squirm uncomfortably.  
What…was this funny?  
Was this fucking funny?!  
Fucking him raw and them leaving him completely boneless and unable to walk?  
Was that funny to him?!  
  
_I’ll show you what’s funny,_ Seto growled to himself, using the last of his strength to tighten his arm around Yami’s waist and pulled him closer, dragging his slender body over the wet patch of semen and champagne on the mattress, hearing Yami yelp and attempt to twist away.

Yami felt the wetness slide uncomfortably over his skin, and he struggled to get away, feeling Seto’s arm close around his chest with an iron-like grip, crushing the air out of him. Th-This was payback!  
Seto was making him lay on the wet patch they had made!  
Selfish man!  
Yami thumped his owner on the leg with his fist playfully. Let me up!  
  
Seto released Yami and watched him roll away with an impish grin.

“I’m not sleeping there,” Yami declared strongly, and Seto blinked, completely caught off guard, feeling his stomach curl so hard, it hurt.  
Yami sounded…fluent as fuck.  
  
Suddenly, Yami burst out laughing, pointing at Seto’s face, and Seto sat up dizzily, placing a palm to his face, the pads of his fingers grazing over the soft indents the sheets had imprinted on his face, and he shot Yami a glare. “Shut the fuck up.”

Yami sobered up the second he caught Seto’s glare and he apologized, still smiling, “I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re fucking not,” Seto snorted as he lay down again, too tired to do anything. He would take a shower tomorrow morning. What time was it anyway?!

“Hey, where’s my phone? Can you find it?” Seto asked gruffly, seeing Yami blink at him once and then nod slowly.

He watched as Yami slid one tanned, slender leg over the edge of the bed and hopped off, circling the bed methodically, combing the floor in rows, and Seto felt his hair stand on end.  
He had a feeling he was missing something. Did this kid grow up with military training?!  
The odd bubble of fear rose up inside him again, and Seto swallowed it, shaking the feeling off.

An odd strip of orange was shining on the arm of the leather couch, and Seto watched Yami pass a hand over it, looking deeply confused. Frowning, Yami glanced up to find the light source, seeing it coming from a gap in the curtains. He rushed over to the balcony, pushing the heavy fabric aside and gazing out across the ocean, deeply startled to see a bright white sun sitting right up against the horizon.  
Th-The sun was…rising?! And it was rising steadily, and too quickly.  
Had they been doing _that_ …all night?!  
Impossible!  
The cloudless sky was steadily lightening, turning a beautiful pink hue, coating the room in a warm orange glow.

He threw Seto a frantic glance, seeing his owner mirror his look of shock, his face unusually pale.

 _Right…! He agrees. Well, I must find the phone!_ Yami thought numbly, turning around and spying the phone laying on the floor right by the nightstand. _There!_

He strode over to it, feeling his knees and thighs ache as he bent down to pick it up, and he tossed it across the bed to Seto, seeing Seto’s fingers wrapping around it desperately.

Seto clicked his phone on, seeing several missed notifications.  
A text from Mokuba, and two calendar notifications.   
  
An onboard company breakfast…today…with shareholders.  
Fuck.  
He had an hour to get ready.  
Fuck.  
There a was also an onboard dinner, tomorrow, with familiar names.  
His presence was mandatory, because these were all friendly companies who wanted to rub elbows to reestablish useful connections.  
That was a function he cared to attend.  
There was a duel academy he wanted to build…and he had his eye on a specific island, owned by a specific company.  
He wanted to buy it…so he had to show up to this fucking fuck-fest.  
Fuck.  
Fuck it all.  
Fuck everything.  
  
Seto hastily tapped the message from Mokuba and read it carefully, digesting his words.

“Hey Seto, hope your enjoying your cruise or whatever. BTW Isono thinks that Yami is taking advantage of you or something. Or that you’re assaulting Yami, and that Yami hates it, when Yami clearly is the one who had a crush on you first. Just thought I’d _(message 1 of 2)_

 _(message 2 of 2)_  
let you know, cuz Isono was looking super angry and worried. I told him that you guys liked each other. I don’t think he heard me. Anyway, he went out for the rest of today. When you get back, you should ask him where he went, cuz he wouldn’t tell me when he got back.  
k that’s it.  
Also I wanna go to the aquarium. And bring me back those chocolate mint sandwich thingies they have!  
  
Love u big bro.  
M”

Yami frowned, watching Seto’s shoulders shake as he read his phone messages. What? What was it?

“Shit,” Seto sighed softly, and a soft knock sounded at the door.

_“Service!”_

Fuck! Could he catch a fucking break?! He glanced up and saw Yami’s similar look of annoyance.

Seto wanted to yell at the maid to say, “come back later!” but he took one look at the sheets they were sitting on, and felt himself heat up with embarrassment.  
  
They were a huge fucking mess, with dried streaks of semen in large patches, and the champagne had dried, leaving an odd yellow ring on the white comforter.  
These sheets needed to be fucking burned.

“One moment!” Seto called, and he pointed frantically into the bathroom, seeing Yami nod and race down the hall.

Seto eased off the bed, feeling his asshole burn and chafe as his legs brushed together, and he grit his teeth, hating himself. He bent down to grab his pants and he inched them on, not bothering with the zipper or the button while he draped his shirt over his neck to cover his nipples. There. Fucking dressed.

He moved towards the door and yanked it open, seeing the maid blush bright red as she looked away, staring pointedly at the handle of her cart.

“I-If now is not a good time, I can clean while you are away! I-I thought you would’ve a-already left for the function downstairs, Mr. Kaiba!” She stammered, bobbing her head nervously.

Seto blinked, feeling his blood run cold.  
The function had already started?!  
Had the time changed and he wasn’t notified?!

“I was just about to leave,” Seto lied, feeling his ass throb, and he saw the maid nod and look at her feet. “I’ll be in the bathroom. Leave the spare toiletries on the coffee table.”

He turned and strode away without looking behind him, hearing the wheels of the cart thud softly over the bevel of door before he leaned the bathroom door open and shut it behind him. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.  
  
He couldn’t remember the last time he had had so much fun having sex that he lost track of time.  
  
He gazed at Yami’s steamy silhouette through the shower door and felt lust gnaw at his insides. Damn, his asshole was burning and he still wasn’t satisfied.  
When would this feeling go away?!

Yami heard his owner step into the bathroom and he brushed away the condensation with his palm, gazing out at Seto, watching him undress slowly and he felt his heart race. Turning away quickly, Yami dipped his face underneath the running water, feeling his stomach clench and tighten strangely.  
Why did he always feel so odd whenever Seto did anything around him?

He heard the glass slide back and he stepped aside, letting his owner stand in the water, and Yami raked his eyes shamelessly down Seto’s front, staring at his penis. Even flaccid, it looked…big.

Yami instinctively reached forward to press the backs of his knuckles across it, seeing his owner ignore him while running his fingers powerfully through his light brown hair.

He ran his knuckles upwards, brushing over the soft pubic hairs, amazed. He glanced down at himself and felt slightly inferior. There was a size difference.  
Women weren’t joking when they compared sizes, and Yami suddenly felt very insecure.

Brushing the feeling off, Yami reached down and gently palmed Seto’s flaccid dick, playfully pulling and tugging at the foreskin, deeply pleased to see Seto continuing to ignore him.

Seto felt his stomach clench and tense every time Yami’s fingers touched him and he wished he would stop. He didn’t bring Yami any formal wear. Fuck. Fine, then he wouldn’t show up at the function wearing anything formal…or was that inappropriate? Seto had no idea.  
He had never dressed down for a function because his style of dress was always a power play. He tensed his thighs, feeling Yami’s fingers roll back his foreskin to playfully squeeze his flaccid dick between his hands.  
No, it was fine.  
Yami could wear whatever the fuck he wanted because he had the excuse of being a foreigner.

Yami was having too much fun, he forgot himself for a moment. He ran his hands down his owner’s muscular thighs, grinning happily to himself as he watched the water swirl and pool around their toes before disappearing down the drain. His owner was always so kind, letting him do whatever he wanted.  
This was…a good life to live.  
The best life.  
Surrounded by luxury, while cumming inside his of owner’s hole until dawn.  
What a life!  
Whatever angel had gifted him with this incredible luck, Yami was thankful.

He watched Seto shut the water off and step out. He tried to follow, but a fluffy white towel was handed to him, and Yami blinked, taken aback by the sudden thoughtful gesture. He accepted it with both hands and wrapped it around himself warmly, feeling happy.

Seto smiled softly at Yami and hastily dried himself off. Now, he had to fucking get dressed.

“Kiss,” Yami said, but Seto didn’t hear him. He had already stepped out of the bathroom, leaving the door swinging wide open behind him.

Disgruntled, Yami patted his hair dry and stepped out, glancing at himself in the mirror, thinking he looked oddly refreshed. His cheeks were rounder, fuller, flushed with color, and he looked…healthy.  
  
His chin angled down into a sharp point, and Yami patted the skin around his eyes, pinching his cheeks lightly.  
He was so used to not ever seeing meat on his own face, he had forgotten what he used to look like.

 _Does he like me?_ Yami wondered lightly, thinking he was silly to even ask this question. Of course Seto liked him. Seto had given him his hole!  
Maybe Seto wanted to do it again!  
After all, they could call room service for food, why would they ever need to leave the room?!

Feeling his arousal return in a sudden rush, Yami hurried out of the bathroom, and almost dropped his towel in shock when he saw his owner standing before the full-length mirror, adjusting the cuffs of a finely pressed suit. Wh-What? Was he going out?! No!

“Don’t leave, Seto,” Yami said warmly, letting his towel fall to the floor with a soft thud, and he stepped over it, seeing the shocked look of his owner’s face reflected in the mirror. His angular blue eyes were so wide, Yami could see all the white around his blue irises, and it excited him even further.

“You’re coming with me,” Seto answered dryly, steeling himself to look away from Yami’s reflection in the mirror. He was beginning to think that his original assumption he had about this kid being a sex-freak was correct.  
Yami’s boner never went down!  
What the actual fuck!  
What was he made of?!  
Where did this stamina come from?  
Even he couldn’t get it up this much after such frequent lovemaking!

“Get dressed, you’re coming with me,” Seto commanded, pointing at their bags laying on the couch, and he saw Yami shake his head stubbornly, folding his arms confidently across his chest, tilting his hips at an angle, his boner jutting visibly out from his body, and Seto had to look away, feeling his cheeks burn.

“Put some damn clothes on, we’re already late.” Seto hissed, pointing at the bags. He knew Yami could understand him! He did understand, right?!

“One more time,” Yami pushed back with equal hostility in his voice, and he felt his dick throb and itch. Why…why did he feel this way?! It was Seto’s fault! Every time he looked at this man, his dick would get hard!

“Get--” Seto changed his mind and stopped speaking mid-sentence.  
Words weren’t going to get anything accomplished.  
Actions were what mattered.

He strode over to the bags, feeling his thighs burn, and he grabbed one of Yami’s shirts, feeling his asshole itch and leak. A hot stream of liquid slowly seeped into his underwear and trickled down the back of his thighs and Seto cursed, feeling his knees buckle suddenly as Yami tackled him from behind, and could feel Yami grinding roughly against his back, causing the fabric to bunch at his lower back. Fuck. Fuck! No! They were late! Also, this was a clean suit!  
It had just been cleaned....  
  
Seto felt his thoughts slipping as Yami’s hands skillfully undid a button at the center of his chest and slid in through the fabric, his fingers finding his nipples, rolling and pinching them playfully while the other hand snuck around his front and tugged at his belt.

No…no…

Seto felt his legs give out completely and he hit the floor with a painful thud, the shock reverberating up his thighs, and he cursed, feeling himself heating up so much, he felt like wetting himself as Yami’s hands grabbed his balls through his pants.  
He felt himself shiver and he briefly considered skipping the function.  
They couldn’t even get out the door!  
C-Could Yami fucking stop?!

 _“Come on…Seto. One more time,”_ Yami coaxed breathlessly, feeling triumphant as Seto’s belt loosened in his hands and he tugged it off, tossing it aside with a soft clink. He shoved his hand down Seto’s pants and his fingers brushed along a familiar hardness _. “See, look at you here…!”_

Seto let out a growl and he shoved his elbows back, attempting to push Yami off, but he froze as he felt more liquid gushing out of his hole and he felt weak all over.  
  
Damn…damn…what was coming out of him was…semen and champagne. Goddamn!  
  
He hadn’t cleaned himself properly in the shower because Yami had been touching him the entire time!

 _“Look, look!”_ Yami insisted, forcefully pushing Seto forward onto his hands, seeing his slender shoulders shaking, and he smirked as he spied the wet patch right in the middle of Seto’s pants.

“Ah…you’re wet!” Yami snickered gleefully, and he heard his owner gasp.

Seto grit his teeth so hard, he could feel his own blood coursing through his ears as he heard Yami speak fluently again. Had Yami been watching porn?  
Had he been doing that with Mokuba’s computer?

“Stop…we need to leave,” Seto heard himself say, but his chest curled with anticipation as Yami’s hand squeezed him so tightly, he almost came.  
He didn’t mean his words.  
He didn’t care about leaving anymore.  
Maybe, Yami could make him cum really quickly again, and then they would leave.  
  
Yami gave Seto’s pants a forceful yank, taking his underwear down right with it, and he rubbed his finger lewdly across Seto’s hole, seeing it clench wonderfully underneath the pad of his finger. Wet. It was already wet…

He got up on his knees and pressed the head of his dick against Seto’s rim, seeing his owner gently lower himself down onto his elbows obediently. Good…such a good owner! Lower!

“Lower…” Yami commanded, hearing his own voice shake. “Kiss the ground with your cheek…and lay your hands flat at your sides.”

Blinking rapidly, feeling his stomach curling with a mixture of fear and excitement, Seto did as he was told, pressing his cheek onto the carpet and tucking his hands underneath his thighs, secretly glad that the maid had come in to vacuum beforehand. Was Yami reciting a script from a porn?!  
What the fuck was happening?! Why wasn’t he fighting back?!  
He was already dressed!  
He needed to attend the fucking….

Seto bit back a sharp gasp as he felt Yami’s hot breath graze across his shoulder blades and he forgot all about going downstairs. He let Yami yank his pants down past his knees and a heated length rubbed slowly up and down across his asscheek, with precum leaving a wet streak drying across his buttock.  
Yes. This was fine.  
He had never been fucked completely flat and facedown before.  
Maybe this time, Yami would fuck him so hard, it would make him forget his own name…!

“Good…good!” Yami panted eagerly, straddling Seto’s legs and placing his length right between Seto’s pale ass cheeks, and he couldn’t help but wish he could photograph this moment. Seto was completely willing!

Leaning forwards, Yami placed his palms on either side of Seto’s body, his fingers digging into the carpet as he prodded his dick towards Seto’s hole, feeling his tip slipping upwards against Seto’s crack. Damn. He couldn’t just lean himself down…or could he?

Yami balanced himself on one arm and led his dick towards Seto’s entrance, pushing himself down harder, feeling Seto’s cheeks spread slowly, and Seto felt a deep, searing heat engulfing his entire body as Yami slammed down into him from above with such force, his cheek dragged roughly on the carpet fibers. Fuck. Holy fuck.

He could feel Yami shivering above him as the heat slowly slid out of him, and Seto tensed, each breath was becoming harder to draw as he waited for Yami to enter him again. There was a long pause.  
God damn Yami was such a tease!  
More!

And as if Yami had read his mind, Seto felt the hardness enter him fluidly and rock his body roughly, up and down, his tie knot pressing into his throat almost painfully, choking the air out of him while Yami thrust powerfully into him, his sensual pants echoing around the room, and Seto felt himself spinning, falling, floating, and sinking all at once.

Every time Yami entered him, he felt complete, full, and wanted.  
Yami wanted him.  
This was raw emotion.  
Love. Lust. Sex.  
Sex with Yami was amazing.

The tip of his wet dick rubbed pleasurably into the carpet, sending jolts of electricity up his body, and Seto felt himself cum in a controlled heave as Yami timed his thrusts almost perfectly with the waves of his orgasm.  
They were in-sync.  
They were so physically compatible!

Seto could barely breathe as the rough up-and-down motions of Yami thrusting him into the carpet numbed his mind and cleansed his soul.

He felt more hot liquid gushing up inside him, and Seto found that he didn’t care. He felt like he was flying on the highest cloud.

Yami felt his vision fade wonderfully into white as he gazed down at Seto laying obediently beneath him, his ass sucking in his dick so deliciously, almost eagerly, and he forced himself to slow down as every thrust became unbearably sensitive, causing a violent spasm to rip through his body as he orgasmed again, his dick twitching miserably. Nothing came out. It was dry.

Letting out a soft sigh, Yami eased himself off from Seto’s body and sat down heavily, leaning his back against the base of the bed, stretching his legs out and draping them over Seto’s. He gave his owner a soft nudge with his heel, waiting for him to get up.

Seto didn’t move.

“Hey,” Yami said, his voice shaking with laughter as he continued to stare at Seto’s limp form on the floor, his muscular arms still tucked underneath his body. “Hey! I thought you said we had to go!”

Yami gave Seto another hard nudge, and became instantly worried when he received no response.

He reached forward and wrapped his arms around Seto’s waist, rolling him over onto his back with an enormous effort, biting back another laugh as he saw that Seto was breathing deeply, apparently fast asleep.

Every time! This was becoming a predictable pattern.

“I guess we’re not going anywhere then,” Yami said devilishly, looping Seto’s pants expertly off from around his ankles and tossing them aside. He glanced down at Seto’s half-erect penis, seeing semen staining the hem of a dark blue dress shirt, and he felt a rush of satisfaction.  
This was a man who owned half the world with his money, and yet he was laying here in his own fluids, sleeping like a baby after being dominated.

 _“You’re mine, aren’t you? You like having your hole done by me, don’t you?”_ Yami asked evilly, slowly undoing Seto’s tie knot and lightly draping the tie over his eyes.  
Handsome.  
Even with his face half-covered, Seto looked extremely handsome.

With trembling fingers, Yami carefully undressed his owner, slipping the dress shirt off from around his shoulders, wondering if he could wake his owner by shoving his dick in his hole while he was sleeping.  
No, that wasn’t right, was it?  
His owner seemed to want it often, even when his mouth said “no.”

Rising to his feet, Yami grabbed Seto by the armpits and dragged him over to the couch. He rushed into the bathroom to grab a wet washcloth before racing out again to gently wipe Seto’s body free of cum.

He tossed the cloth aside and heaved his owner onto the couch, pushing with all his might as he rolled Seto’s body onto the cushions, thinking he wouldn’t have been able to do this several months ago. He had definitely gotten stronger.  
Strong enough to lift a man larger than himself.

Yami made sure Seto was safely on the couch before he walked over to the bed. He yanked the top comforter off and tucked it over Seto’s body, noticing with a pleasant jolt that it had been cleaned. Wow, had a maid come in while they were in the bath? How nice!

Slipping onto the bed and underneath the thin sheet. Yami shivered from the cold, regretting have not pulled Seto back onto the bed. If he had known the bed had been cleaned, he would have done so!

He heard a soft buzzing coming from the floor and Yami sat up slowly, realizing Seto’s phone was ringing.

He crawled to the edge of the bed and leaned down, picking it up, seeing a foreign name panning across the screen.

“Pega…sus.” Yami read slowly, thinking he didn’t know any English at all, but he had seen enough on the side of fruit boxes at the marketplace to know how letters were pronounced.

He tapped the green button and held the phone to his ear, hearing a sharp feminine male voice echoing through the receiver, _“Hooooo! Kaiba-boy! Where are you? You are missing a fantastic….! Come down quickly before it ends, there’s someone I’d like you to meet!”_

 _A fantastic what?_ Yami thought faintly, and he wondered if he ought to speak.

 _“Kaiba-boy?”_ The voice said, sounding disappointed, _“Don’t just ignore me over the phone. You know you can’t avoid me.”_ And the voice began to chant in a sing-song voice, _“I know your room number! Or shall I come up there to fetch you_ personally?”

Yami felt a pang of annoyance sear through him and he hung up the phone, glaring at the name on the screen. Who was this man?! Did this man dominate Seto as well? What did he mean by “fetching personally?” Was someone going to come up here?!

The phone buzzed and a text message floated across the screen and Yami read it with ease.

_“Kaiba-boy…I’m coming up there now!!”_

Anger and terror surged through Yami’s being as he gazed at Seto’s sleeping form on the couch and the mess of clothes on the floor. His owner was naked!  
No one was “coming up” or entering this room without his explicit permission!  
Did he need a weapon?

Dropping the phone onto the bed, Yami walked into the mini kitchen and opened all the drawers, relieved to see a small set of cooking knives sitting neatly in a row. Weapon acquired.

Yami walked back over to the bed and swept Seto’s clothes up off the ground, careful to keep the wet articles separate from the dry ones, and he draped them over the back of the couch.

He hastily got dressed, pulling on a light shirt and pants from his bag before sitting cross-legged on the floor, facing the door, keeping the knife on the floor by his knee.

If this “Pegasus” would come into this room, to “fetch” his owner, he would receive a knife to the throat.  
His owner had an infinite amount money.  
A dead body in this room wouldn’t even be marked as a crime.  
Rich people could pay off anything and anyone.

Yami felt his heart thundering in his ears as he waited, the silence ringing in the room as he counted Seto’s soft breaths.  
He was growing increasingly more nervous by the second.  
Where was this Pegasus person?

He tensed, hearing soft voices echoing down the hall, and he slowly laid his hand on the knife by his knee, slowly wrapping his hand around the cold handle.

“This is the room?” spoke a soft, feminine male voice.

“Y-Yes…” A softer female voice.

“Please open the door for me,” the feminine male voice commanded, and Yami heard the woman’s voice respond, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying through the door.

There was a long pause, and Yami began to sweat, tightening his grip around the handle of the knife so firmly, his skin burned.  
This Pegasus person did not have access into the room.

“Please, do it now! What do you want, dear? You can have it all! A diamond necklace to go around your pretty neck? Earrings for your delicate ears? You name it!” The flamboyant voice insisted, and Yami heard the woman’s voice whisper quietly again.

His fear and anxiety rising, Yami realized that this Pegasus was bribing a maid or servant! Dirty! There was danger indeed!

Yami hoped and prayed the maid would not cave to the bribery. He rose to his feet, wondering how he would defend Seto if the maid was a witness to him putting a knife through this Pegasus person.  
By the sound of his voice, he was probably…definitely a weak, pathetic, disgusting man, who wanted to prey on Seto.

“But my Kaiba-boy is in there!” and the voice sounded as if it was pouting.  
  
What on earth was a “Kaiba-boy?!”  
Yami had heard “Mr. Kaiba” and “Kaiba-sama” being used before, but when the voice said “Kaiba-boy”, it sounded condescending.

The voices faded, and Yami did not relax. He kept his grip on the knife, wondering if he ought to open the door. No. He was safer behind it. He would wait.

He walked over to the bed and picked up Seto’s phone before sitting back down on the floor, laying the phone on his lap. He would not leave this position until Seto woke up.  
Pegasus was also a man with money, and he would find another way into the room.

* * *

Seto felt wonderfully warm, and he stretched, feeling his toes grazing across something leather. He felt his asshole burn and he slowly lifted his eyelids, seeing the round halo lights sitting in a neat pattern in the low ceiling, and he remembered with a sudden rush that he was supposed to be at the function downstairs.

He sat up so quickly, his head rushed with a pounding headache, and he hissed slowly, wondering why he was on the couch. He glanced around the room, cursing internally as he realized with a jolt that it was dark outside. He received another shock when he saw Yami sitting cross-legged on the floor, with his gaze fixed on the door.  
What the fuck? Did he want to go out?  
Why was he staring at the door like a dog begging for a walk?

“Hey…” Seto suppressed a yawn and stood up slowly, feeling his entire body ache. He reached into the duffel bag sitting at the floor by his feet, and he slowly got dressed, wondering why Yami was still sitting motionless by the door.

He adjusted the neck of his shirt and walked to stand over Yami, gazing down at him, noticing his phone sitting in Yami’s lap. What the…?

“Hey, don’t touch my shit,” Seto said aggressively, bending down to sweep his phone up, seeing Yami tense and do nothing. He clicked it on, reading the time. 7:20PM. He checked his notifications, seeing none. Frowning, he glanced down at Yami again, fear rooting him to the spot when he saw the gleam of a knife sitting on the floor right beside Yami’s knee, and Yami had his hand lightly resting on the handle, looking tense. What the…fuck?!  
  
Was this kid trying to kill him in his sleep?!

“Wh-What are you doing?” Seto asked, feeling his mouth go dry as his heart leapt up into his throat, his ears ringing with Isono’s warnings.  
  
_“The boy is dangerous! He had a knife in his drawer! He wanted to kill himself that night you assaulted him!”_

Was Yami attempting suicide again?! Why?!

No, on second thought, Yami’s stance was defensive. Cross-legged with a hand on the floor resting on the knife, looking like he could stand up to stab…an attacker.

Seto spun around and slowly walked towards the door, hearing Yami’s voice ring out behind him. “Don’t!” And Seto’s hand froze on the handle.  
He was right.  
Yami didn’t want to harm himself with the knife.  
Did someone try to break in?

Yami leapt to his feet and rushed forward, wedging himself firmly between his owner and the door. He didn’t know if Pegasus had stationed guards at the door.  
A mad man who would casually vocalize _“hoooo!”_ on the phone, had to have armed guards.  
How would they get out without being harmed?!

“Who was it?” Seto asked, wondering if he was going crazy. Was Yami making him more paranoid? Yami was feeding into his paranoia. This was bad.

“Pegasus!” Yami said angrily, pointing at Seto’s phone.

Seto felt the room dip violently beneath his feet as he realized Yami could read English.  
He would deal with this new discovery later.  
Brushing the thought aside, Seto quickly unlocked his phone, seeing a text message from Pegasus.  
  
“ _Kaiba-boy…I’m coming up there now!!”_

Shit.  
  
Yami had read this, and thought someone was coming in to attack them.

“He was here!” Yami said shakily, wondering what the Japanese word for “bribe” was. Damn it all to hell for forgetting the dictionary! “He…he…”

Yami floundered and Seto nodded, tapping on the phone and opening the translation app.

“Speak normally, in your language,” Seto said encouragingly, seeing Arabic text flitting across the phone, and he held it up for Yami to see, watching his violet eyes widen with shock.

Yami stared at the phone. He had understood what Seto had said, completely, but it seemed like the phone managed to transcribe Japanese into Arabic!  
What was this witchcraft?!

 _“He was trying to bribe his way into the room!”_ Yami continued angrily, feeling himself shake with fear, and he prayed it didn’t show in his voice or on his face. He had spent the entire day, sitting at the door, waiting!

Seto paled and blinked rapidly. Yami saw this reaction and felt a vicious rush of confirmation that Pegasus was indeed a dangerous man.

 _“He was talking to the maid! I’ll buy you a diamond if you let me in, he said!”_ Yami repeated, hearing his own voice shake.

Seto caught the tremor in Yami’s voice and realized that Yami had been sitting at the door with a knife…as a guard…for him! He had been foolishly asleep the whole time!

His rage bubbling, Seto tapped on Pegasus’s number in his phone, with half the mind to shout at him, seeing a call that had already been answered, and it had lasted a minute and thirty seconds. Had Yami answered this call?!

“What did he say?!” Seto asked, his anxiety rising as he heard Yami answer him in a rush, staring at the Japanese words spawning quickly with every sharp syllable Yami spoke.

 _“Kaiba-boy, where are you? There’s someone I want you to meet! I’m coming up to…_ fetch _you.”_ Yami said, with emphasis on “fetch”, and he wondered if he ought to repeat it in Japanese.  He saw his owner staring angrily at his phone for a long moment before speaking.

“Right. Well I’m going to personally tell him to fuck off,” Seto said furiously, holding the screen for Yami to read, and he saw Yami glance at it briefly before nodding. “Come with me, but don’t bring that fucking knife. I don’t want us getting thrown off-board.”

Yami barely read the Arabic text flitting across the phone screen before nodding, and he slowly made his way back into the kitchen, throwing the knife back into its drawer and slamming it viciously. Damn.  
Yami was shaking, with a mixture of anger and frustration. A life of luxury, with a kind owner, but the world he lived in was full of sharks.

Seto watched Yami walk back toward him slowly, wobbling in his steps and he realized Yami had been afraid the entire time. He had loyally sat at the door with a knife, ready to defend him while he had been sleeping!

Isono had Yami all wrong, clearly!

Seto stepped forward and drew Yami into a tight hug. Yami’s skin felt unusually cold and clammy.

Yami felt Seto gently crushing the air out of him as he was pulled into a tight embrace, and Yami could feel his eyes burning with unshed tears. No. He wasn’t going to cry about something as stupid and trivial.

He blinked and a burning tear slid down his cheek and Yami grit his teeth, hating himself.

“Let’s go raise some hell,” Seto said softly, nuzzling his nose into the soft curves of Yami’s ear, and Yami shivered and nodded, feeling his fear subside and a small knot of warmth gathered at the base of his stomach as Seto continued to hold him close.

Seto planted a soft kiss on Yami’s temple and gently cupped Yami’s face, tracing his lips gently over the bridge of Yami’s nose, feeling Yami jut upwards on his tiptoes to meet his lips, and suddenly they were kissing deeply, warmly, lovingly, with teeth and tongue, and passion.

Melting, Yami steadied himself by draping his arms around Seto’s neck, and sighed into the kiss, feeling Seto’s arms tighten protectively around his waist, and he instantly felt safe.

Seto pulled away breathlessly, feeling his head swim and his heart skip several beats as he cupped Yami’s face, staring deeply into his dark angular violet eyes.

“Stay next to me, and nothing will happen to you,” he said quietly, thinking that Pegasus was harmless, but he couldn’t say the same for the other guests on the ship.  
  
Yami nodded tightly, and felt Seto let him go. He watched as Seto reached into their bags and pulled out their coats, and he let Seto drape his coat around his shoulders.

“Ready?” Seto asked, adjusting the collar of his trench coat, watching Yami gape at him.

“Yes,” Yami answered firmly, carelessly throwing his coat over his shoulders, not caring to stick his arms in through the sleeves. If he was cold, he would put it on later.

He watched Seto stride to the door and hold it open for him.

 _Why, thank you, Seto._ Yami thought privately, thinking that his owner treated him like a royal subject. Always holding doors open for him respectfully. How nice.

“Hurry the fuck up, I’m not a door stop,” Seto growled, staring hungrily at Yami’s ass as he swept past him, and he slammed the door shut behind them, a strange feeling rising inside him as he saw Yami turn to give him a sensual smirk over his shoulder.  
  
Damn.  
Yami was so fucking sexy.  
  
_I think I’m in love,_ Seto thought miserably, staring at the way Yami’s legs brushed up against each other as he walked ahead of him down the ship’s long hallway.

* * *

**Author’s note:**

A bit of a late update because I was insanely distracted….by…my DISCORD GROUP!!! (Basically a lively group chat)  
  
There is a **[discord server](https://discord.gg/5YmbSey) ** for UGLIFISH/PRETTIUGLI and has an additional **SPANISH CHAT ROOM** for Spanish speakers!  
  
(and it’s not always about prideshipping! Any ship is welcome! Just be kind!)  
  
Click the link to join!  
  
\+ It is a SAFE SPACE. of course because the nature of my fics is LGBTQIA+!!! All inclusive!  
  
\+ There is also a very smoking hot, NSFW RP(roleplay) thread! (and a NSFW image thread)  
  
\+ There is a WRITER'S CORNER, where you can chat with other writers for inspiration!  
(I'll also try to help the best I can!)  
  
\+ There is a place for you to spam selfies, pics of food, and just talk about random every day life things and  
  
\+ There is a place to discuss plot points in (eight-sided shape/I am just a starving artist/case 001/etc.etc)  
  
If you're shy, don't worry! Just know that you are among friends and family!  
  
**You will also be able to receive real-time updates from me about how each chapter is progressing, and I will notify you of the update at least an hour or two before posting!**  
  
You can also lurk and just log in to see when I post mini spoilers from time to time.  
Interaction is not required.  
But, it would be nice if we talked a little bit?? hahaha  
  
There is a section for UGLIFISH + STORIES but who cares about that xDD What’s really cool is that everyone can come together with some things in common (YUGIOH + Ugli stories) and then continue making friends from there! Isn’t it wonderful?!

COME JOIN!! It's easy to make an account with an email and that’s it! (it’s like a giant party every day!)  
  
I will also be more available there to take feedback and questions about ANYTHING!  
  
Also, you and I can be closer friends that way, if you care at all about that xD (sobs)  
I want to be friends.  
I love making new friends!  
Come spam the Ugli discord chatroom with cute pictures of your pets.  
You will be welcomed with open arms!  
I need inspiration between taking breaks in my writing!!

OK that being said, thank you for reading this chapter update.  
Wh-What do you think?!?!?  
Tell me your thoughts and try not to murder me for that bottle sex scene, Ok?!?  
I already know of a few people who already want to do that.  
You know who you are.

Ugli out.


	20. I’ve come to possess a heart

Yami walked blithely down the warmly lit hallway, turning his head to check on Seto behind him, seeing him walking unusually slowly. He paused at the end of the hallway by the elevator, waiting for his owner to catch up.

Seto grit his teeth and forced himself not to feel anything as his asshole burned every time he rubbed his legs together. Damn…Yami had been too rough earlier, and he had been too rough the time before that. But it was fucking amazing.  
What a shitty trade-off.

Yami pressed the button for the elevator, feeling his owner stand right beside him, gently taking his hand and giving it a warm squeeze.

Yami blinked, feeling his heart skip a beat as he watched his owner lace their fingers together, bringing their clasped hands to his lips, his clear blue eyes burning into him as a hot breath panned across the back of his hand, sending a heated shiver down his spine. Seto was holding his hand…!

“You’re pretty,” Seto breathed, barely able to hear himself as he mumbled the words into Yami’s tanned knuckles, and Yami nodded, barely able to hear anything through the loud pounding of his heart.

The elevator doors slid open and a maid was inside, wiping the golden bars of the handrail lining the inside, and Yami instinctively felt the need to jerk his hand away. Was his owner fine with holding his hand in front of a stranger?!

Yami felt Seto’s hand tighten around his own as the doors slid shut, and he risked a glance up at Seto.

Seto seemed not to care!

 _Fine, then I don’t care,_ Yami told himself nonchalantly, leaning his head against his owner’s shoulder. He saw the maid pointedly avoid eye-contact, keeping her head dipped low, but Yami could see the tips of her ears were bright red.

Were they being…embarrassing?  
Was love between men taboo in this country?

Yami felt a deep pang of fear run through his chest as he realized he had no idea.

He glanced towards Seto and made a gesture for the phone, placing his thumb and pinky to his face.

Seto nodded and slipped his phone out from his pocket, handing it to Yami as the lift slowed to a stop, and he realized he had no idea what room Pegasus was in.

He could ask the maid, and he was running out of time. The doors were already opening, and Yami was hastily whispering into his phone.

“Excuse me,” Seto said, mustering up the nicest tone he could manage, and he saw the maid freeze in her actions, but refuse to look at him. “Maximillion Pegasus. Which room?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Kaiba, I cannot disclose such information…” She mumbled in response, and Yami froze, his blood running cold as he recognized this soft voice. This was the maid Pegasus had attempted to bribe!  
  
_Well_ , Yami thought fervently _, Seto wasn’t going to get very far with this maid if he wanted to do the same thing._

Seto sighed and briefly considered bribing her, but decided against it. Acting like that in front of Yami, after he had just witnessed Pegasus bringing a maid, whether it was this one or another, was a bad idea.

“Please,” Seto implored firmly, reaching forward to place a gentle hand on her shoulder, feeling her tense, but he slowly curled his fingers in warmly around her arm, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll protect you.”

Yami gaped, unable to believe what he was seeing or hearing. He could see the maid’s eyelashes fluttering as she blinked rapidly. She was having difficulty processing this as well.

“You can’t,” She answered flatly, and went back to polishing the rails, and Yami saw Seto persist.

“We’ll get you off this boat. You want to work somewhere else? Where is your family? You see that foreigner?” And Yami froze as he saw his owner point at him, and the maid raised her head briefly, and their eyes met, and Yami caught a dark look of desperation pooling behind her soft brown eyes. Oh…no….

“He has business with Pegasus, but that man has been making my life difficult for as long as I can remember. Tell me what room, and I can try to help you,” Seto urged gently, and he knew he could just hack the ship’s onboard system to locate Pegasus, but why would he want Yami see him doing that?  
Yami picked things up way too quickly.

“You just missed him,” the maid whispered, and Yami saw a group of finely dressed people brush past him and pile blithely into the elevator with his owner and the maid. He rushed back inside just as the door slid shut, and Yami saw Seto’s fingers tighten over her shoulder.

There was a long silence as the group of people ignored them and got out after two stops, and the lift closed, continuing up again before Yami realized the maid was showing them where to go!

“Here, suite A6,” The maid whispered shakily, pressing a button and the lift slowed to a stop once more, and Seto forced a smile on his face, bending forwards in a half-bow before grabbing Yami’s hand and pulling him into the hallway.

Yami tightened his grip around Seto’s phone, his chest swirling with a strange mixture of wonder and gratitude. Seto had offered to help that woman! His owner’s kindness knew no bounds!

He hastily tapped Seto on the shoulder and handed his phone back, seeing Seto pause to read the text on the screen.

And it was Yami’s turn to lead Seto down the hallway.  
Seto had stopped walking, his eyes glued to his phone screen, and Yami gave Seto’s hand a gentle tug.  
Come, this way!  
A6 was at the end of the hallway.  
They were only at A2….!

Seto felt his vision blurring in and out as he read Yami’s words on his screen.

 **Japanese:** “Is it taboo to lay with a man in this country? I don’t know. Please tell me. I don’t want to cause you any additional trouble.”

 _Well, taboo or not, we’ve already “lain” together_ , Seto thought sarcastically feeling his legs ache as his asshole throbbed painfully again.  
Damn, he needed to sit down.

He walked forwards slowly, and he saw Yami point at the end of the hallway.  
Right.  
He had to tell Pegasus to fuck off for the rest of this trip first, and then he could rest.

Seto eyed the gold plaque reading _“M. Pegasus”_ on the door and he knocked firmly twice.

“Service!” he called, trying to sound genial, and he watched Yami turn to give him an incredulous look.  
What? He wanted the upper hand.

“Go awayyyy!” sang a voice from inside and Yami felt his chest constrict with annoyance.

“Bottle…service!” Seto resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he kept his tone light, and he heard the soft padding of footsteps coming towards the door. Jackpot.

Yami held his breath, seeing the door handle jiggle as a chain clinked on the other side.  
  
What game was his owner playing? Because whatever it was, Seto was very good at it. Getting information from the maid, and even fooling this man!

“That was quick!” Pegasus pulled the door open and beamed, his expression changing instantly as he saw who it was.  
  
Seto elbowed the door aside forcefully, knocking against something rough along the carpet, barging into the room and moving to stand in the middle with his feet planted firmly apart.

“Ow! My toe!” Pegasus wailed, stumbling away from the door and Yami could not hide his incredulity as he wavered by the door, staring at Seto, who was smirking coldly at a man with long white hair. He was clothed in only a silk bathrobe and was wobbling by the door, grabbing the handle for support as he clutched his satin-slippered foot.   

“Kaiba…!” Pegasus growled as his gaze landed on Yami, and his demeanor changed instantly. “Oooooh, who is this? A friend? A servant? A bodyguard? A friend of Mokuba’s? Because he’s certainly not your cousin if you know what I’m saying….”

“New staff member,” Kaiba sneered with his arms firmly crossed. “If you had successfully entered my room earlier today by bribing that maid, he would’ve stabbed you in the neck and thrown you overboard.”

Yami dared himself to look at the silver-haired man again, and saw him swallow visibly, staring at Seto with slightly wide eyes. “He’s…a child, and… _you_ are a child, Kaiba-boy! You are all children. Learn your place! I’m only trying to help you!”

“Yeah no thanks,” Kaiba snorted, “I don’t need your help. No more unplanned visits to my door, or you’ll end up in a pool of your own blood.”

“You wouldn’t _dare_ ,” Pegasus gasped, hobbling in an undignified manner towards a large plush armchair sitting against a large set of windows, and collapsing into it with a dramatic sigh.

Yami realized he hadn’t observed the room properly. This room was somehow larger than Seto’s room!

There was a four-poster bed, a wine bar, a larger kitchen, a small theater area, and a curved balcony as opposed to the rectangular one that was in the room he shared with Seto.  
Yami felt his head spin.  
Was it possible that this man had _more_ money than his owner?!  
How?!?

“Don’t just stand there. Come in, or get out!” Pegasus barked at Yami, rubbing his toe sorely, and Yami ignored him, choosing to remain by the open door.  
  
“There was…an airline company president who wanted to talk with you, but you were absent, so he bothered me for the whole hour instead.” Pegasus sighed, tossing his hair over his shoulder. “You owe me, Kaiba-boy. I made you a _fantastic_ connection. Be good and say hi to them at the dinner tomorrow night. For me? Pretty please?”

“I don’t need your connections,” Kaiba retaliated, glaring. “And I’m leaving. Not staying to chat,” he said shortly, moving towards the door, and Yami watched Pegasus’s face fall visibly.

“What happened to the bottle service?!” Pegasus called after them as Kaiba slammed the door so hard, it echoed in the hallway.

“There, he won’t bother us again,” Seto said roughly, addressing Yami, but feeling like he was saying it more for himself. Pegasus was always overreaching, and it was irritating as hell.

Yami nodded silently and followed Seto back into the elevator, sensing his anger and deciding not to touch him for now. As the lift sank lower, Yami turned the events over in his mind.

Pegasus had made Seto a connection.

And Seto had viciously thrown it back in the man’s face.

 _Probably because Pegasus is a bad man,_ Yami thought darkly. He knew Seto had a pure heart, and doing business with a man with probably dirty money and blood on his hands wasn’t something he was interested in.  
There was no way a man could have that much money, and be innocent.

“You hungry?” Seto asked, seeing Yami turn towards him and nod vigorously.

Good. He was too.

Yami stared out through the glass panels of the lift, feeling them slow to a halt and the doors slid open quietly.

He followed Seto through a large sitting area with plush velvet couches. A man at a piano was playing in the center, and a servant was floating between tables, holding a dish of tiny food items for people to eat.

Yami felt oddly naked as he realized there were quite a lot of people on this ship, and everyone sitting had all turned their heads as he walked by. They were all staring at him.  
No, they were all staring at Seto!

Seto grit his teeth, thinking the sooner he was safely in the private dining area with Yami, the better. He didn’t know how Yami would react in a large crowd.

Yami kept one pace behind Seto, matching his strides, his anxiety rising as he realized Seto was walking faster, eager to get away from the main area.

There was another hallway, lined with golden sconces, and Yami heard the patter of footsteps rushing him from behind, and he whirled around with his fists clenched at his sides, ready to hit the attacker.

It was small boy, and he was holding out pad of paper, his eyes shining with hope. “P-Please, I’m a huge fan of Duel Monsters! Mr. Kaiba and Friend, please sign!”

Seto froze in his steps, slowly turning around to see Yami bow politely and accept the pad with both hands from the boy and passed it to him.

Yami held the pad up to Seto, watching his owner stare at it for a long moment before taking it and signing it quickly without making eye-contact.  
Yami felt a surge of annoyance.  
This little boy clearly worshiped Seto for some reason, but Seto didn’t seem to care either way!  
Was a handshake too much to ask for?

Seto handed the pad back to the boy and grabbed Yami by the arm, dragging him away from the main area and towards the maître d standing by a set of frosted glass doors.

Yami opened his mouth to protest, but decided not to speak as he watched the servant at the front bow and lead them into another large room.

He felt the breath leave his body as he eyed the heaps of food piled onto the plates of finely dressed diners, sitting at tables covered with white cloth. There were couples who were seated along the windows, and Yami ached for a look.  
He had yet to see the ocean properly!

“Table for two, Mr. Kaiba?” The servant inquired, leading towards a less crowded area of the restaurant.  
Yami blinked as the man stepped in front of him to pull his seat out for him.

Startled and partially disgruntled, Yami took a seat, and to his immense irritation, the man did not leave. He also pulled out Seto’s chair, and picked their napkins up from the table and draped it over their laps.

Yami shifted uncomfortably. Being waited on like this was so uncomfortable. And to his extreme displeasure, another servant appeared at the side of their table and set a large menu before him while placing two large wine glasses before him and filling them with sparkling water from a large pitcher, then bowing and stepping away silently.

“The menu today is…” the servant began, and Yami stared at his gloved finger panning down the page of his menu, needlessly explaining the items one by one, and he felt his skin burn with a strange fire.

“Go away,” Seto said mildly, “Don’t treat me as if I can’t read.”

And Yami raised his head to stare at his owner over the top of his menu. How…incredibly…rude! This servant was trying to do his job!

Yami stared up at the dark-haired servant, seeing his eyes widen as he began to sweat visibly. “Ah…uh. Mr. Kaiba, please excuse my…terrible inexperience. I was hoping to…i-it’s our policy to---”

“Leave and come back with wine,” Seto said amicably, leaning back and staring at his menu.

“Ah…wh-which…wine? Which wine?” The servant stammered, wringing his hands, and Yami felt a rush of sympathy for the servant. His owner was being difficult and cold on purpose!

“Whatever you want, I don’t care. Just go away,” Seto said, beginning to sound irritated, and Yami watched as the servant bowed and stepped away.

He leaned across the table towards Seto and hissed, “Why are you so mean?”

Seto raised his eyebrows, surprised at Yami’s fluency. Why the fuck was he so damn surprised every time? Maybe Yami needed to speak more.  
  
He would get Yami to speak more.

“How many times do you think he had to repeat that damn menu explanation?” Seto responded coldly, “And it’s not like I can’t read. Did you need him to explain it to you?”

“No…” Yami replied slowly, as understanding dawned on him.  
This was his owner being kind…again!  
He hadn’t thought about that!  
The servant must have repeated the menu hundreds of times today, for diners before them!  
Seto was saving that servant a huge trouble!

“Order quickly so we can leave,” Seto said shortly, folding his menu shut as he surveyed the room. He saw many familiar faces and a few people had nodded at him when he made eye-contact. He was itching to leave.

Yami nodded slowly and scanned the menu, feeling surprised at himself as he realized he could read all of it! There were several items written in different languages, but there was a Japanese translation beneath each item! It was great!

“Can you read it?” Seto pressed, leaning forwards and folding his fingers together and propping his elbows up on the table, studying Yami’s expression carefully.

Yami nodded silently again and decided to go with the lamb steak.

“Really? You can read…all of it?” Seto asked doubtfully, thinking he had seen some pretty difficult kanji in the menu. Or had Yami skipped over it and chosen something simple?

Yami paused and blinked, shaking his head slowly, pretending like he couldn’t understand.

Sighing, Seto tugged out his phone and typed out his words, seeing the app refresh as the Arabic text appeared beneath it, and he slid his phone across the table for Yami to see.

Yami leaned forward and read the message.

 **Japanese:** “Really? You can read the entire menu? What did you choose?”

 _I can understand you, you idiot._ Yami thought arrogantly, _And I can read it all. Fool_.

He tapped the phone with his index finger, seeing the Arabic keyboard appear, and he took his time responding.

Seto watched Yami’s slow movements, frowning. Why so sluggish? Yami usually moved quick.

The phone was slid back towards him and Seto tapped on the text, and he attempted to read it before seeing it refresh with a Japanese translation.

**_Arabic:_ ** _“Lamb steak! I hope…finish eating….by the….to see the water…!”_

**Japanese:** “Lamb steak! I hope it’s delicious! Later when we finish eating, can we stroll by the edge?! I want to see the water rushing by!”

 _Fuck, I can’t read for shit,_ Seto thought darkly, and he carefully composed his reply.  
  
The servant reappeared by their table with an entire cart of wine, and Yami felt his anxiety rising. Seto wasn’t going to like this.  
And as he predicted, Seto took one look at the cart and sighed. “What part of ‘I don’t care’ did you not understand?”

“Uh...the uh…head waiter suggested that I—”

“Can’t follow instructions?” Kaiba interrupted, sounding bored, typing away on his phone. “Maybe the head waiter would be better at following orders. Place one on the table and leave.”

“M-May I suggest…--”

“Are you suggesting it personally, or were you told to suggest it?” Seto asked dryly, and Yami decided he had had enough.

“That one!” Yami said hastily, pointing at the bottle nearest to him, knowing his owner wasn’t going to drink it anyway. Seto had refused the champagne earlier.  
He was on some alcohol-refusal diet for some stupid reason.

“Ah…!” The waiter exclaimed nervously, reaching down and hastily placing it on the table, moving to open the cork with a tool. “This is a special red--”

“Nobody cares,” Seto drawled, sliding the phone back across towards Yami. “Shut up and pour. Take our orders before you leave.”

“Wh-What would like to eat?” The man gasped, uncorking the bottle with shaking hands, pouring them each a generous glass, and Yami watched the red liquid slosh messily around inside the rim.

“Filet mignon, and he’ll have the lamb steak,” Seto said hurriedly, seeing a man and his wife walk by and nod at him respectfully. He resisted the urge to flip them the finger in response, and Yami noticed the couple immediately.

He stared at their backs, keeping his gaze fixed on the shiny black heels of the woman, and the shiny black edge of the man’s dress shoes. More people with money. This entire ship was filled with people with money.

He glanced around the room, seeing many servants flitting from table to table, some wheeling carts, some carrying trays of food, others just standing against the wall, holding pitchers full of water.

And Yami realized with a horrifying jolt that they were on a slave ship.  
This ship was covered with service people, with the service people outnumbering guests, three to one.

Just as that thought left his mind, another servant walked by, offering to refill their already-full glasses of water, and Seto hissed, “Go…away. Unless you’re here with food or an emergency, go away. Tell your head waiter wherever they are, that I don’t want to see any of you.”

Yami lowered his gaze to his empty plate, feeling his cheeks burn. If he was that servant, he’d be slightly happy to have one less table to worry about, and the servant seemed to have the same feeling, stammering her thanks as she ducked away.

Yami raised his head and stared at the faces of each diner, hating all of them as he saw at least two servants hovering by each table. Theirs was the only table that didn’t have a servant standing beside it.

“I’m not being mean,” Seto said defensively, saying it more for himself than anything else. “These people don’t understand the word ‘privacy’.”

 _Whatever you say Seto,_ Yami thought amicably, still feeling a surge of hatred towards the neighboring diners.

His gaze drifted past Seto’s shoulder and he caught the eye of a dark-haired girl, about his age, with tanned skin and pretty features.

Yami blinked slowly, his anxiety rising as her wide green eyes blinked desperately at him, her mouth upturned in a smile that looked almost like a grimace.

He shifted himself slightly to catch a glimpse of her companion who was sitting facing away from him, and he felt disgust curling in his chest as he saw it was older man, with greying hair and a bald spot.

His mouth growing dry, Yami realized she was a girl from his country!  
Was she just like him?!  
Did she have a number?!  
  
But her owner was disgusting, fat, and bald. Yami felt a rush of relief and gratitude towards Seto, and he lowered his gaze to stare at his plate once more.  
How destiny’s hand had served him well!  
He was more fortunate than that girl for sure!

Seto frowned, thinking he had frightened Yami somehow. He had seen Yami look right at him, and the color left his face before he lowered his head down so much, his blonde bangs obscured his face. What? Did he not understand the word “privacy”?

He tapped the phone on the table, seeing Yami ignore him.

Yami’s heart was racing a thousand beats per second as he tried to come up with a way to communicate with the girl without raising the suspicion of their owners. Could he tell Seto about her?

Yami held his breath, staring at the phone on the table. He could…but…would Seto’s interference cause more harm than good? Would he put Seto in danger? He had to talk with her first!

Determined, Yami raised his gaze once more and locked eyes with the girl, seeing her nod ever so slightly and the corners of her mouth twitched higher upwards. Good. She could see him.

Yami kept his gaze steadily on her, hearing Seto talk to him. “Hey, don’t fucking ignore me. Answer my question.”

“What?” Yami asked blandly. He would sacrifice a bit of his own safety to talk with this girl. It was fine if Seto knew he could speak and understand Japanese well enough.

Seto frowned, thinking Yami looked oddly vacant. He wasn’t even making eye contact.

Yami felt his heart thud in his chest with terror as the girl started blinking slowly at him. One blink, two blinks, three, four, five and six. A smile, and then a nod towards her companion. She then tucked her hand under her chin and leaned forwards, seemingly interested in what the man had to say, placing her index finger across her chin like a dash, and Yami felt his skin crawl as his horror rose to an all-time high.

She was giving him her number.

Six blinks.  
  
6.  
  
A smile and a nod.  
  
2  
  
Index finger across chin.  
  
Dash.

Yami felt his eyes watering as he looked on, feeling Seto reach across the table and his cold fingers closed gently around his wrist. “Hey…what’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing,” Yami mumbled, staring intently over Seto’s shoulder, watching he girl with beautiful green eyes make another gesture.

She demurely tucked her hair behind her ear and blinked rapidly, and Yami barely caught them as her eyelashes fluttered, seven times. 7

She then threw her head back and laughed, smiling at her companion, pressing her index fingers against her cheeks, pulling the corners of her mouth playfully. 11.

Her smile dropped off her face and she stared pointedly at him for a full second before turning away to look out the window.

62-711  
That was her number!

And Yami realized with a reeling horror that he had forgotten his own number. Damn! He had even forgotten which wrist it had been on!

DAMN! Was that why Seto had removed his number?! This man…was too clever!

 _I must remember before they leave!_ Yami thought fearfully, catching a firm glance from the girl again, and he shook his head tightly, looking away and out towards the window. Dangerous. Can’t reply now.

 _I’ve forgotten!_ Yami hissed at himself, staring down at Seto’s hand curled around his wrist, and he felt a deep burning resentment towards him. The nameless boy had warned him to always remember his number, and here he had forgotten it like an idiot.

“Hey, what the fuck?” Seto said worriedly, seeing a look of deep despair panning across Yami’s face and he decided it was time to leave. Yami was clearly uncomfortable in this setting. It was either the servants or the fact that their food was taking too damn long to arrive.

“I said it was nothing.” Yami hissed, yanking his hand away and feeling his skin burn. He glanced down at his wrist, seeing the golden bands clinking down along his arm, and he hated himself for being carried away, fooled, and lulled into a false sense of security by Seto’s good looks, charm, and money.

 _What is my damn number?!_ Yami thought miserably, thinking it had started with a 6.

He had banished all thoughts of his number and the nameless boy from his mind the moment he had started to learn Kanji.  
There were just too many things to fill his mind with!

He had to remember the recipes, in order to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Isono.  
  
He had to remember the button combination on how to make his character flip and jump on the screen when he played with Mokuba.  
  
He had to remember how to use the cleaning machines around the house, and when to pick up the mail, how to polish the cars, how to air out bedsheets, and when to trim the hedges.

He had to remember to play dumb.

“Yami, we’re leaving and eating somewhere else.” Seto said firmly, reaching forward to grab Yami’s wrist again, but Yami leaned back in his chair, shaking his head frantically.

“No, I’m fine. We stay, and don’t touch me!” Yami felt the words slipping from his mouth too quickly and he wanted to take it back the instant he saw Seto’s pained expression. His owner genuinely cared for his well-being!

 _What is my damn number?!_ Yami screamed at himself,  staring out into the inky blackness beyond the ship’s windows, seeing his own frustrated face reflected back at him.  
Damn.  
Damn it all.  
Damn!  
Curse Seto and his cleverness.

“I’m sorry,” Yami said hastily, catching another frantic glimpse from the girl from over Seto’s shoulder, and he remembered his number in a terrible, sudden rush.  
  
65-832.  
  
65-832.

“Are you?” Seto asked hollowly, thinking that this was the most fluent conversation he had ever had with Yami, and it was so empty.  
Something felt off.  
Something had spooked him.

“Yes!” Yami insisted, propping his head up on his hands, determined to give a reply to the girl, catching her eye just as a servant moved behind his owner and blocked her from his view. Damn!

Yami watched with burning eyes as the servant stood behind Seto and lowered the plate in front of him slowly, and Yami realized a similar servant was also standing behind him, lowering a plate underneath his nose, and delicious scent of cooked meat wafted upwards.

 _Curse this ship and all these slaves_ , Yami glowered, and Seto felt his hair stand on end as he saw Yami give the darkest look he had ever seen to the waiter standing behind him.  
Oh fuck.  
The servants were really setting Yami off.  
Maybe they could wrap this up and leave….

“Thank you,” Yami said coldly, nodding at the arm that was retracting from his vision, and he heard a soft stammer above him. “Y-You’re welcome.”

Now he had food before him, and it smelled delicious, but Yami tuned it out, scanning the table for tools he could use in a casual conversation that would convey his number to the girl.

He couldn’t laugh and tuck his hair behind his ear the way she did, and lean forward, sounding interested. Acting that way with Seto would raise immediate suspicion.  
He’d be caught immediately.  
And his first number was six!

She had blinked, six, too, so he would also do the same.  
And he would distract his owner while doing so.

“Seto,” Yami said suddenly, looking straight at the girl, cursing internally as he saw that she wasn’t looking his way.

“What?” Seto answered quietly, digging his fork into his meat, thinking if every meal with a terrified Yami was going be this way, why did they even bother leaving the room?

“I’m really enjoying myself. Thank you for taking me here.” Yami said gently, finally seeing the girl look at him again, and he nodded. Begin.

He blinked slowly, six times. And he saw her nod and look away, frightened.  
No. bad. Bad time. Later.

Damn!

“Wh-What?” Seto could barely believe his ears.  
  
Yami saw Seto pause in his actions, his knife slipping over his meat slightly. Seto sounded surprised.

“I really am. Also…” Yami continued, seeing the girl look right at him again and nod, tucking more of her hair behind her ear and smiling softly. Ready.

“Also what?” Seto pressed, looking straight into Yami’s face, feeling his skin crawl as he was met with a blank look again. What the fuck?

Yami raised his hand and placed it against his cheek, propping his elbow up on the table and spreading his fingers out evenly, tensing his fingers, relaxing them, then tensing them again.

  1. Do you understand? 6 and 5.



Seto noticed this immediately and his suspicion rose quickly.  
What the fuck was Yami doing? Yami wasn’t even looking at him!

“Also what?” he snapped, seeing Yami look him directly in the eye and speak fluently. “What is Duel Monsters?”

Confirmed, Yami was not looking at him, but at a point over his shoulder.

He made a movement to turn around but Yami reached forwards, grabbing his hands, and Seto felt himself heat up instantly as Yami dug his fingers firmly through his. “Tell me what it is! I want to know!”

Yami then let go of one of his hands, to rub his nose with one index finger, then lowered it carefully, smiling warmly at him, and Seto felt his skin crawl.  
Who was Yami communicating with?! What the fuck was that?!

65 ---  
Did she understand? Yami saw her nod swiftly and he saw the man move to stand.  
No. No!  
They were leaving. They were leaving! He was out of time.

Yami caught a look of sadness and despair flitting across her face, and he glanced frantically around the room, noticing the door was behind them. Good. There was still hope. She and her owner would walk by!

He snatched up his knife and began hastily slicing his meat into pieces, carefully arranging vegetables onto his plate in small groups, neatly pushing them into a row right up against the edge of his plate so she could see it quickly when she walked by.

Eight long stalks of greens.  
  
Three slices of lamb.  
  
Two peas.

Seto frowned, intrigued by this odd behavior. And he decided to watch and say nothing. Yami was being so fucking…

“Mr. Kaiba…!”

To Yami’s immense horror, the girl and her owner stopped right by their table, and Yami threw Seto a frantic look, seeing his owner’s eyes widen, making direct eye-contact with the girl. Caught. Caught!

Didn’t matter. He would receive the punishment later.

 _Now_ was what mattered!

Yami saw her looking right at his plate, and she nodded, swallowing fearfully. Yami slowly nodded back, gripping his fork so tightly, his fingers hurt.  
D-Damn…his owner…knew her owner!  
What a small…terrible world!

“…We should catch up!” The man chuckled, and Kaiba resisted the urge to stab his steak knife through the man’s fat, red face.

“Whatever,” Seto responded icily, his blood running cold with terror as he realized…Yami had been speaking with this girl who was sitting behind him the entire time!  
  
What did they say to each other?!  
She was fucking pretty!  
How were they communicating?!  
For how long?! Hand-signs?  
Morse code?!  
Did he like her?  
She looked like a girl from his country!  
Their skin color was similar!

“Come, Lina,” the fat man said, and Yami stared down at his plate, feeling his cheeks burn.

Lina.  
Her name was Lina.  
Now he knew her name.  
He would find her on this ship, even if it killed him.

They walked away, and Seto eyed Yami stonily, looking at the strange lumps of food arranged on his plate.

His lamb steak had been cut, and a main portion remained untouched. What was left at the edge of his plate was eight long stalks of greens, three slices of lamb, and two peas.

What the fuck…?

Well, he would find out eventually.  
Yami was clearly fluent enough to ask him about Duel Monsters.

“So,” Seto said casually, setting his knife and fork down, hating that his food had gone cold. Whatever. “Lina…huh? Pretty, isn’t she?”

Yami drew in a sharp breath and felt his eyes water.  
Damn.  
Damn his owner was smart. Too smart.

He hastily messed up the food on his plate, and heard Seto say, “Don’t bother, I know you were talking with her.”

Seto watched as Yami remained motionless, his knuckles white over the handle of his fork, keeping his eyes lowered.

“If you like her, just say so,” Seto said, feeling his face burn with a strange fire. Yami was staring at her over his shoulder the whole damn time, even faking smiles, touching his hands….  
  
Wait.

He ran the motions over in his mind’s-eye again.  
Yami had flexed his hand on his cheek. Like the number 5.  
He glanced down at Yami’s plate, seeing that he had messed up the arrangement.  
Clever attempt, but he had a good memory.

5, 8, 3, and 2.

Why did those numbers sound eerily familiar? Why were they talking in numbers?

Seto stared at Yami, noticing that he was shaking slightly…from…fear? Had the girl scared him? What that it?

No, he was scared of something else.

“Hey…” Seto reached forward, and Yami dropped his fork with a clatter against his plate, the sound causing heads to turn, and Seto watched Yami grip his own wrist, his eyes wide with terror he hadn’t seen in months.  
Deep fear.  
Fear without hope.  
Desperation. 

“I don’t like her,” Yami said shakily, and Seto blinked, understanding washing over him quickly.

The tattoo on Yami’s wrist.  
If he remembered correctly, they were 65-832.  
Yami had rubbed his nose with an index finger, meaning a dash.  
So he had probably signed the number 6 somehow.  
5 was the touch to the cheek, and the food was the other three numbers.  
Holy shit.  
Holy fucking shit.  
Holy fucking shit on fucking loaf of bread.  
They were talking to each other using their purchase numbers!!!

So what was freaking Yami out now?

“Yami…” Seto said slowly, reaching forward again, and he saw Yami tense visibly.

 _It’s me!_ Seto realized with a suffocating horror, and a wave of nausea blanketed him uncomfortably. _He’s scared of me!_

“You’re not in trouble, you’re safe,” Seto said automatically, wondering if Yami could understand him. “You can tell me what she said.”

 _I can!_ Yami thought, with a sudden relief. He wasn’t going to be punished. Seto didn’t even look angry.

 _No, I can’t!_ Yami berated himself.  
Seto was not his friend.  
Seto was his owner.  
There was a difference.

“Did she tell you her sale number?” Seto pressed, seeing Yami’s expression soften. Yes. That was a yes.

“Did she say anything else?”

Another terrified look.  
Nope.

“Okay, well, do you want to talk to her again?” Seto asked quietly, thinking that this was a terrible idea, but he would say anything to get Yami to calm down.  
Would he do that weird thing where he’d starve himself again?   
Because they were out in the middle of the fucking ocean and he wasn’t equipped to handle that shit.

He watched as Yami lowered his hands into his lap and nodded, looking depressed. Fuck.

“Hey, how about this,” Seto said hastily, throwing his napkin onto the table with a sort of finality. He was too nauseous to eat anyway. “We’ll go see the water at the…edge of the ship. Whatever you want. You want to go back into the room? I’m fine with that too.”

Yami blinked, feeling his eyes heating up as he stared down into his lap, hanging his head so low, his neck ached. Seto was kind…and understanding.

Always kind and understanding.  
There was no way this was an act, right?

He had been asking himself this question from day one, and he could not find an answer that would ease his soul.

“I…want to see it,” Yami said miserably, thinking he was never going to see Lina again. She was probably being punished for communicating with him.

“Then let’s go,” Seto said, eyeing the full glasses of wine before him on the table. “But not before you drink this glass.”

 _Of wine?_ Yami thought, not raising his head, confused.

“You picked an expensive bottle, so drink it, damn it,” Seto lied. He had smelled it when the waiter was pouring it. This was shit he rinsed his mouth with at parties after eating bad shrimp.

 _Fine,_ Yami thought, and he reached for the alcohol apprehensively, pressing the glass to his lips and taking long gulps. The liquid stung his nose and caused his eyes to water.

Liar.  
Seto was a liar. This was a cheap wine.  
It even smelled cheap. Whatever.  
His owner was making him drink, so he would drink to feel nothing.  
It was better this way.  
He would be able to enjoy seeing the water and forget Lina’s frightened look.

Seto nodded approvingly, watching Yami round the glass off readily, and he pushed his own glass towards him. “Again. Drink this one too.”

Yami felt the warmth spreading around his chest and cause his fingertips to tingle. No! He already had a lot of alcohol today!

It wasn’t enough to make him vomit, but he would be drunk!

“I said…drink this before we leave,” Seto pressed, thinking it was better to deal with a drunk Yami than an agitated or terrified Yami.

 _Fine, but I will be drunk,_ Yami thought roughly, grabbing Seto’s glass and tossing it back with a few gulps, feeling his entire body heat up, and he felt himself beginning to relax. His mind was still sharp, but his body felt soft. Damn, alcohol did strange things.

“Now, we leave,” Seto growled, standing and striding towards the door, not checking to see if Yami would follow him. He knew Yami would, and soon, he heard soft footsteps pattering behind him as he walked out of the dining area and towards a large set of velvet stairs.

Yami felt unsteady on his feet as he stuck closely behind Seto, matching his steps as they climbed the stairway, and they reached yet another luxuriously furnished floor.

Trying his best to ignore all the dazzling crystal chandeliers, Yami followed Seto down a narrow hallway and watched him shoulder a heavy metal door open.

A biting wind whipped in and Yami shivered, pulling his jacket on and walking out onto the cold, secretly thankful that Seto was once again holding the door for him.

He saw a silver railing and he walked towards it, glancing down into the dark waters, hearing the wind and waves roaring as his hair whipped violently around his face, stinging his cheeks.  
Okay, this was less enjoyable.  
He now wanted to return back into the room where it was warm and comfortable. 

“Come on,” Seto called, holding his hand out, wondering if Yami would take it. He had given up on reaching out to touch Yami, knowing he was going to be met with a frightened look, but to his immense relief, Yami smiled at him and slid his hand warmly through his, gripping his fingers with strength.

Yami felt his owner squeeze his hand with love, and he felt his stomach swoop as the ship rocked slightly, and he felt his heart soar. Seto probably loved him…as much as Mokuba now, maybe even more!  
He had earned his place in his owner’s heart!  
That was why he was on this ship, right?  
As a true, well-earned reward?  
For working hard around the house with Isono?  
Cooking his meals? Studying hard?  
  
They barreled forwards through the wind, keeping close to the ship wall, and Seto grit his teeth, braving the cold. Yami said he wanted to see some fucking water, he would take him to the back of the ship where the engines were.

Yami shut his eyes against the wind, hearing the roaring growing louder as he spotted a large steel column towering above them. Ah…one of the ship’s stacks!

Seto led him to the railing again, and pointed down, shouting over the noise, “Look there!”

Yami did as he was told and glanced down, blinking in amazement as he spotted streaks of white water gushing behind the ship as they sailed forward, and he could barely contain his excitement. Amazing! The ship’s propellers were right underneath them! That’s why it was so loud!

“I like it!” Yami called back, managing a smile and feeling his head spin.  
Damn, he was really drunk, but it didn’t matter.  
He had Seto, and not a fat balding man.  
He was taken care of, well-fed, healthy, educated, and dressed warmly.  
Seto was a good owner.

“What?” Seto yelled, pressing a finger into his other ear and leaning down to Yami’s height.

Yami stared at the delicate curves of Seto’s ear and he instinctively pressed his lips against it, biting the shell playfully, seeing Seto jerk back and clap a hand to his ear, glaring.

“What the fuck…!” Seto cried, his heart thudding wildly in his chest as he gazed down at Yami, who grinned prettily up at him, his blonde bangs flying every which way. He reached a hand out to catch one, missing, his fingers closing around air.

“I like you!” Yami shouted, placing his feet on the railing and leaning dangerously over the edge, shouting it down into the ocean, feeling incredibly carefree and lighthearted. “I like you, Seto Kaiba!”

Seto felt his world stop.

Everything grew still and the roaring became quiet.  
  
Oh….  
  
Well, he already knew that.

“Tell me something I don’t know!” Seto yelled back, seeing Yami flash him another alluring grin.

“Say you like me too!” Yami cried happily, enjoying the shocked look Seto was wearing. “Louder, I can’t hear you!”

Seto blinked rapidly and he gave Yami’s arm a tug, trying to get him down from the railing, seeing Yami shake his head at him and point at the lowest bar. Step on here with me.

“It’s dangerous! Get down!” Seto called, feeling Yami’s strong hand on his shoulder, pulling him towards the railing. He hesitated for a moment before giving in.  
Fine, fine. Whatever. The ship wasn’t moving fast anyway.

He stepped up on the railing and leaned down, staring at the rushing water beneath them, feeling his heart race.  
He felt alive.  
Yami brought out the best in him.

“Say it!” Yami insisted, his voice drowned out by the sound of the rushing water and the roaring engines.

Seto swallowed tightly and let the wind freeze the tips of his fingers as he gripped the edge of the railing, thinking if he let go, he could just fall in, and die.  
His asshole stung and chafed painfully.  
Death would be preferable…to admitting aloud that he liked Yami.  
No…that he loved Yami.  
Yami was a man.  
Was that okay?

A warm hand rested on his back and bunched the fabric tightly, and he glanced at Yami, who was glaring at him viciously.

“Say it, or fall in when I push you,” Yami threatened playfully, thinking he would jump into the freezing water without a second thought if Seto fell.  
Even if it was a pit of fire, he would jump into it with Seto on his mind.

Yami saw Seto’s mouth move and he leaned closer, keeping one hand steady on the rail as he gripped Seto’s back. It was so windy and loud! “What?”

“I like you too!” Seto shouted hoarsely, his eyes watering as his hair whipped painfully around his face, and he turned towards the inky blackness stretching out before them, gazing out at where the horizon met, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, “I like you too, Yami!”

Yami let out a deep laugh and stepped down from the railing, letting Seto pull him into a crushing embrace, bringing tears of relief to his eyes.  
Damn. He needed this.  
Seeing that girl had really shaken him.  
And Seto was always here for him at the end of the day.  
He had to remember that.

Seto released Yami and leaned his back against the railing, resisting the urge to kiss him. He knew if he did, he would never stop.  
He was in love. Fuck.  
Goddammit.  
It all made fucking sense.  
He had never consistently held a woman, because his preference was men.

Yami leaned his back against the railing too, tossing his head back, enjoying the cold wind against his heated skin. Alcohol always made him feel hot.

He lifted his head and saw a face with bright green eyes, peering at him through one of the tiny windows of the ship’s wall, and his heart stopped in his chest.  
The girl. Lina.

Seto blinked, and waved casually, seeing the girl’s eyes widen with fear and duck down, disappearing. Oh fuck. That was a bad move.

Yami shook his head, exasperated. Did Seto just wave at her?  
Now she was even more frightened.  
Did she think his owner wanted to dirty her too?  
Damn, Seto was stupid sometimes.

“Here’s my phone,” Seto said casually, grabbing Yami’s hand and pressing it into his palm, seeing Yami blink at him. He needed to lie down. His asshole was stinging and burning way too much.

“The room door will stay unlocked for you. If anything bad happens, call the topmost number. It rings my tablet. Unlock the phone with code: 2098203. Can you remember that?”

Yami clutched the phone to his chest, his heart swelling with appreciation and gratitude for Seto.  
Seto trusted him with his personal phone!  
Yes!  
Yes!  
209.82.03!  
The door will remain unlocked!

“If you don’t come back within the hour, I’ll come find you.” Seto said seriously, bending down to whisper in Yami’s ear. “Don’t you _dare_ …try anything with her. I will know.”

“I won’t” Yami replied hoarsely, but Seto didn’t hear him. He was already walking away. Yami blinked rapidly, his heart swirling with a strange feeling.  
How incredible!  
Seto sounded jealous and possessive, but allowed him this much freedom!

Yami clicked the phone on and mentally made a note of the time. An hour.

He turned and stared at the windows, seeing a tanned hand press flat up against the glass, and disappear. There.

He walked along the ship’s wall, suddenly feeling very cold now that Seto had left him alone.

The hand appeared again, 3 windows ahead of him. Continue forward.

Yami wrapped his jacket closer around his body, and followed the ghostly hand pressing against the glass, and paused when he reached a set of large golden doors he had previously missed.

With a great effort, he hauled the doors open against the wind and dashed inside towards the warmth, gasping as the heat burned his fingers and cheeks.

He was now standing in a smaller lounge area, and he saw Lina standing against the wall, near another hallway, and he headed straight towards her, seeing her turn the corner and disappear.  
  
Irritated, Yami followed, thinking she was being way too paranoid.  
  
This ship was large! It would take a while for their owners to find them!

He stepped into the hallway, noticing it was quite small, and there was a door at the end, which he cautiously pushed open, not wanting to be outside again, but to his surprise, it was calm on this side of the ship. There was no wind, and it was eerily quiet.

There were plush lounge chairs propped up against the side of the largest pool Yami had ever seen, and the edge of water was set against the night sky, almost as if it was falling into nothingness.  
He had never seen anything like it!  
This was a pool for swimming, right?  
Smart.  
It was freezing, so no one was out here swimming.

He heard a strange voice call out to him, and he turned towards it, seeing her hiding in the shadows by a table with an umbrella that had been closed.

He moved towards her, gripping the phone in his pocket, wondering what he would say to her.

* * *

**Author’s note:**

Thank you for reading yet another chapter of this fic!  
  
Thank you slaycinder/setokaibasbants for looking this over with your sharp eyes!  
          

Dear reader, Please consider leaving a lovely review! I’m a little behind on the next chapter but hopefully your enthusiasm will inspire me!

xx  
  
UGLI


	21. of steel

She pointed at the chair that had a soft cushion and an intricate metal backing, speaking, “….”

Yami sat down slowly across from her, his ears ringing.  
Shit.  
They didn’t speak the same language.  
Hebrew?  
Was she speaking Hebrew?  
He didn’t know enough!  
Swear words and a few sentences were all he knew!

Yami shook his head and spoke, “I don’t understand! I speak Arabic!”

“Oh…damn,” She said, with an accent. “Can you Hebrew?”

Yami shook his head, his despair rising as he clutched Seto’s phone tighter, slowly wondering if he could use the translation magic for Hebrew to Arabic.

 _“Wait,”_ Yami said hastily, pulling out the phone and setting it on the table, tapping it and glancing briefly up at her, seeing her eyes widen, and she spoke in a rush.

“Wait! I said wait,” Yami said in Japanese, tripping on his words, not caring if he said it right.

“Oh, how fluent are you?” She asked suddenly, sounding extremely fluent herself. Yami blinked and paused, thinking that Seto had saved his life indeed. All those lessons were paying off!

“I can understand everything Seto says! Just about everything,” Yami said, nodding happily, feeling his head grow heavy as the alcohol began to wear off.

“Seto,” she repeated, wrinkling her nose. “You call your owner by his name, and you’re not beaten for it?”

Yami froze, his finger hovering over the translation app, feeling his blood run cold at the thought of Seto hitting him.

No...he hadn’t thought he could be beaten for such a thing.

“Apparently he hasn’t. How nice,” Lina said coldly, folding her arms across her chest, reverting to Hebrew. _“….”_

Yami was regretting this meeting more and more as he tapped on the app and hit the red speaker-phone button for speech-to-text translation.  
He wasn’t here to rub his superior owner in her face.  
He wanted to be friends.

“I want to be friends,” Yami said in a rush, and he set the phone down, pointing at it, seeing her scoot her chair right up next to him and stare down at it, speaking in an incredulous tone.

Yami bent forwards to read the text flitting across the screen.

_“Amazing! This is an amazing piece of technology indeed!”_

“It is!” Yami responded appreciatively, hearing his voice echo and he reminded himself to be quieter.

Lina was talking again, looking down intently at the screen.

_“Your owner must be spoiling you with such luxuries. I am envious. I detest you for that.”_

Yami drew in a sharp breath and decided that he didn’t want to be friends with her after all. She used such harsh words.

“Hate me then,” Yami said, moving to sweep the phone off the table. “I’m leaving. I have no interest in speaking with you anymore.”

“No, no, stay! I need a friend!” She cried, shaking her head frantically. “I’m jealous! I see you acting like lovers with your owner and I can’t help but feel neglected!”

Yami blinked, realizing she had been watching them. “You’re following me?!”

“Only to talk, but then I saw,” She said shakily, her eyes never leaving the phone. “You kissing, hugging, holding hands! Even leaning over the railing to shout into the water! You are in love with him, you stupid foolish boy.”

“Watch your mouth,” Yami responded viciously, seeing his words translate at lightning speed on the screen.

It seemed the faster they were talking, the faster the app translated. Was it self-learning?  
Also, what was wrong with holding hands and being in love?  
  
Just because her owner didn’t love her, didn’t make it right for her to attack his owner!

“You watch yourself, you idiot!” Lina retaliated, rubbing her arms as a light wind blew over them. “You’re talking to someone with more experience than you. I’ve been to hell. In fact, I am living it every day, so don’t come at me saying you know what you’re talking about!”

Yami grit his teeth, seeing her shiver as she barreled on, sounding almost hysterical.

“Do you know what I had to do to get here?! To earn these precious few seconds to sit here with your spoiled little ass and talk with you? I see myself in you, and you’re so so stupid!”

“Don’t call me that!” Yami growled, losing his patience. If she was going to continue insulting him, he was leaving.  
  
“Escape is within reach with this owner, but you don’t see it!” Lina hissed, “He’s bribing you with favors and nice things, isn’t he? Treating you gently, and spoiling you? Like you are precious?”

“Yes,” Yami replied indignantly. “Because I’ve been smart about giving him my hole.”

“You are an idiot!” She wailed, “Your hole is precious, but it is a weapon too! Learn how to use it! How do you think I’m still alive? I’ve held out my hole, and given it freely on occasion to earn my precious freedom! So tell me how you are sitting here while your hole is still intact?”

“I…don’t know,” Yami admitted truthfully, thinking he was lucky Seto was understanding.

“Because he has a woman on the side? How many? Is this your lovers trip? He hides you?” Lina snapped, sounding extremely hostile.  
  
It was as if she was trying to find fault with Seto.  
  
“Look at your face now. You’re so brainwashed, you’re even defending him in your head. I know that look.”

Yami blinked rapidly, his heart sinking. What?

“Yeah, I’ve guessed it correctly haven’t I?” Lina said gleefully, “He makes you feel good first, sometimes even three times in a row before he rapes your asshole with a bottle or the handle of a comb, instead of his penis, am I right?”

“Shut up,” Yami said numbly, thinking she knew nothing.  
It was the other way around.  
He had put it in Seto’s hole first.

“Or, it’s that he lets you do it first?” Lina pressed, nodding viciously. “He lets you kiss him first, touch him first, everything is him first, which then makes you angry. You see him feeling good, and you want to try it yourself, hm? See, your face says ‘Yes’.”

“You don’t know anything about him. Shut up!” Yami hissed, his legs growing heavy as he wondered why he couldn’t just stand up to leave.

“I was first sold when I was eight years old! To a nice owner, or so I thought,” Lina ignored him and continued miserably, staring at her hands in her lap. “I was clean then, so I was just as foolish as you. He was so kind. All the time. He had money, of course. And he would buy me anything I wanted, take me places, while making me feel good in bed, never dirtying me with his dick.”

Yami felt his heart slowing down to a stop, thinking that this story had nothing to do with him. Lina just needed someone to talk with.

“These people, they’re all the same,” Lina ranted, “You think they’re different, but they’re not. I begged that owner to dirty me, because I thought we would be together forever! So he did. I willingly gave him my hole, and afterwards, he continued to treat me nicely…!”

“So what’s the problem with that owner then? Where is he now? Why isn’t he with you?” Yami asked in a rush, hating himself for caring, even a little bit.  
  
“He got m-married!” Lina hiccupped, and Yami panicked, seeing a lone tear slide down her face, but she quickly palmed it away and composed herself. “And his wife sent me away, even after I was hidden in a second house! I had a house all to myself!” Lina insisted, patting her palm firmly on the table. “I thought I was living a dream! A house, with an owner who would visit me occasionally, often times, never, but I was well-cared for!”

“That’s good…” Yami answered numbly, feeling himself tuning her out.  
He was leaving.  
She was just jealous that Seto was handsome, and kind.  
And her owner was fat and bald.

“Listen to me, you fucking…child!” Lina snapped, and Yami stiffened, instantly reminded of the nameless boy with almond eyes.  
  
This was the same tone, same message.  
Was this another warning? Another guide on how to survive?  
  
Because she was the only one talking, and insisting that he listen.  
Was this because he had graduated to a new level of horror?  
  
He had passed being sold and being attached to an owner.  
It was a whole other playing field now. Things the nameless boy had told him didn’t apply to him now….!

“So you are only lying to yourself when you say your owner will keep you, even with a clean hole, after he’s married.” Lina said, trembling visibly now from the cold, and Yami stood up slowly, hearing her snap at him. “Where are you going? I’m not done talking!”

He shrugged his jacket off and threw it around her shoulders carelessly, pointing back down at the phone. “Continue. I’m listening.”

“Well you’re a smart boy, so you can read,” Lina said nastily. “I’m sure you’ve read all the magazines with your owner’s face and name on it. You know he’s looking to get married, surely, you’re not ignoring that out of sheer stupidity.”  
  
Yami felt his heart skip a beat as he remembered the magazines Isono had left on his table months ago. The one with Seto’s face had magically disappeared, because he had looked for it again to masturbate to, and it had vanished.

And that was before he had managed to learn Kanji.

No….  
No.  
It couldn’t be.  
Lina was telling lies!

“Hate me if you want,” Lina said calmly, “Thank you for the coat. I’m only trying to help you. I see the way you look at him, and you look like you’re stupidly in love.  
I don’t blame you.  
I would be too.  
He’s so incredibly handsome, even I fantasize about him to help me get through a bad client.”

Yami felt his heart sink to his feet as he read this text flitting across the screen.  
She…did what??! What clients?  
And yes, he was in love with Seto.  
Was that a crime?

“Don’t get mad at me for fantasizing about Seto Kaiba,” Lina said coldly. “I won’t apologize for it.”

Yami ground his teeth angrily, choosing to remain silent. Lina had been in Japan longer, and apparently, she harbored a one-sided crush for his owner.  
Was there any woman on earth who didn’t admire his owner from afar?  
  
This was just reminding him that he was a disposable plaything...!  
But that was untrue, because Seto loved him.

She eyed the golden bracelets on his arm with a jealous expression. “I wish he would spoil me with fancy phones, pretty clothes, and jewelry. But don’t let it fool you into security. We are never truly free until we leave our owners and everything they gave us, behind.”

“I’m not…leaving him,” Yami answered numbly, feeling his heart shattering into a million pieces as he tried to picture himself walking away from the beautiful mansion with a pack on his back. He couldn’t do it.

“Don’t be a fool. You can make your own money and buy yourself those things when you’re free.” Lina said coldly, reaching out to longingly touch the bracelet on his arm.

Yami let her, feeling oddly resentful.

She suddenly tightened her grip over the bracelet, looking frightened.

“You need to throw this over the edge, right now. How many other jewelries has he given you?”

Yami frowned down at the phone, thinking the translation app needed a bit of work. _“Jewelries”?_  
And hell no!  
Why would he toss something so precious over the edge?!

He withdrew his hand quickly, his heart pounding with a controlled rage.

“This is my insurance for when I run. I’m not that much of a fool. Who do you take me for?”

She gaped at him, blinking rapidly as she spoke again, looking down at the phone screen.

“You don’t know what your owner does for a living, do you? You are kept at home often, aren’t you? Have you never seen his workplace?” She asked sympathetically, and Yami felt a rush of hatred towards her.

How would she know what Seto did for a living?!  
  
That was something he had been trying to figure out since day one!

“Tell me!” Yami demanded, hating himself for relying on her for information. “And what is Duel Monsters?”

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Lina answered gleefully, grinning evilly at him, “I’ll tell you what your Seto does for a living, if you can get me a knife!”

Yami felt his heart stop in his chest. No…No. No.

“Wrap it in a napkin at dinner tomorrow, and drop it on the floor by your feet. I’ll walk by your table and drop my purse to pick it up.” Lina pressed on cleverly, not giving Yami time to respond. “You owe me, hm? You owe me!”

“I don’t owe you anything.” Yami growled, his fear rising higher by the minute.

“You owe me, for everything I’m about to tell you! I came here to help you, you brainless fool, so just shut up and listen.” Lina snapped, raising her head to glare at him, and they stared at each other coldly for a long moment before she spoke again. “I saw you.”

“Saw me what?” Yami hissed, losing his patience. She was being vague and rude.  
It was the complete opposite from the nameless boy.  
She thought she was better than him because she had suffered more.

“When you first entered the ship, you were beeped through the entrance. It was your bracelets!” Lina declared, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder.

“Yeah, it’s a metal detector. They searched for weapons,” Yami said slowly, thinking he had never wanted to hit a girl more in his life than he did now.  
  
Her jealousy for the bracelets was so painfully obvious!

“No, you shit,” Lina snapped, “This tells me you’ve never been through any metal detector in this country, if you think that’s what metal detectors look like. Your owner has chipped you, like a dog, and you don’t even realize it.”

Yami’s blood ran cold as he recalled the guard’s gloved hand looping through his bracelet, asking where he had gotten it.

 _“Mr. Kaiba likes his….”_ The guard had said _._    
Likes his what?!  
Likes his toys chipped like dogs?  
How could he confirm that his bracelets were chipped?  
Was this girl lying to him?

“I was wearing earrings _and rings,_ made of gold as I walked through, and I wasn’t beeped! Think! Use your tiny brain!” Lina said angrily. “Your owner, Seto Kaiba, deals in technology! Why do you think you’ve got so many fancy toys? Hm? Have you never thought it before?”

“I don’t have…fancy toys,” Yami mumbled coldly, recalling the glass clock on his desk with the floating numbers.  
  
Technology.  
It was technology!  
It made so much sense now!  
Why hadn’t he seen it sooner?

Seto was always on his phone, on his tablet, on his computer, every time he got home from work, and while he was at work, he was on his computer!

“You’re too stupid to appreciate or even use them,” Lina huffed, glaring at him. “I see why he bought you. He likes them stupid. He can manipulate you further because you’re stupid. God, you are so lucky I’m here.”

“I’m not…stupid,” Yami grit his teeth, clenching his fists in his lap, resisting the urge to hit her, but he couldn’t help but think he _was_ stupid for being caught in the market alleyway in the first place.

But his life with Seto was better now that it had ever been before!

“Right, now, you owe me.” Lina said solemnly. “A knife, at dinner tomorrow. The sharpest one. I want to bleed quickly. Use alcohol on your napkin to wipe your fingerprints off, just in case I can’t have access to alcohol when I’m back in my room.”

“I’m not doing that,” Yami said firmly, looking straight at her, annoyed to see that she wasn’t even looking at him. She was staring down at the screen.

“You’re going to hell, then.” Lina said coldly. “You won’t even put me out of my misery while you’re living happily with your Seto. The sooner you escape, the better.”

“I’m not leaving him,” Yami replied, repeating himself from earlier, feeling despair and dread swirling around his chest.  
  
If he repeated it enough times…he would make himself believe that Seto was a nice man.  
His bracelets weren’t chipped.  
Sure, he had been bought, but he wasn’t stupid!  
Seto was kind!

 “Then he will be the first to throw you away, if you’re fine with that,” Lina said bluntly. “He throws women away, which means he would do the same for men. Don’t think you’re special just because you lay with him. You just happen to be the nearest, most convenient toy.”

“You don’t know anything about him!” Yami hissed, feeling his cheeks burn as an odd pressure began building behind his eyes. Seto had said he ended the relationship with his front-desk woman, months ago!  
There was no woman on the side!  
But…he did have Mokuba….

Yami was snapped out of his thoughts as Lina continued to speak.

“I can spend all day telling you how my clients have paid my owner for a chance to rape me with ‘x’ object and then fucking me until I’m unconscious, and then doing it still while I’m unconscious…” and Yami shuddered.

Lina ignored this and continued, “This is my break before my other client, so treasure your time. Treasure it all…treasure your Seto. Lay with him one last time and then part ways.”

“I can’t,” Yami said stubbornly. He would never leave Seto’s side, regardless of what Lina said.

“You will,” Lina said knowingly, nodding slowly. “And when you do, never stay in the same place for more than three days. He has money, he will find you. I have been found, and gang-raped by the bodyguards sent to retrieve me before finding myself drugged and tied up in a new owner’s bed. That was the worst way to find out that I had been sold again.”

“Y-You what?” Yami stammered, deeply shaken. He had thought if she had managed to escape, that was it! Freedom!

“Did you forget how expensive we were?” Lina said ruthlessly, “Clearly you did, seeing as how you don’t even remember your number. During dinner, I saw you trying to distract your Seto by touching his hands.  
It didn’t work. He looked right at me.  
I hope you were punished. Because I was.”

“I’m sorry,” Yami said desperately, his guilt rising.  
Seto had made him drink two glasses of cheap wine as a punishment.  
You could barely call it a punishment.

“Be more sorry,” Lina shot back, glaring at Yami, her green eyes flashing with hatred. “I still hurt and I’m bleeding there now, because the next client likes his blood there.”

Yami swallowed his disgust and nodded politely, his anxiety rising as he saw that his hour was almost up.

“A few more things before I go,” Lina said, as if reading his mind. “I was caught, mainly because I was stupid, and I barely managed to understand Japanese. But you can read and speak! So go! Run! And when you run, don’t look back!”

Yami stared mutely at the phone, the text burning his eyes as they began to water. No.  
He couldn’t run away from Seto.  
It wasn’t something he wanted anymore.

“Listen, are you listening?!” She hissed, placing a cold hand on his wrist and digging her nails painfully into his skin, and Yami let her, not caring.  
He felt too crushed.  
Maybe she was describing a worst-case scenario.  
Just because it happened to her didn’t mean it would happen to him!

“Don’t go to places you’ve already been to with your Seto. Always a new place. If he knows you well, he will be able to find you there. Don’t re-visit places he likes to go, either. He will find you there for sure! Are you listening?”

No.  
No.  
No.  
No.

“Always switch between public trains and taxi,” Lina continued, squeezing his wrist so tightly, his fingers were beginning to lose circulation. “Don’t carry a weapon. If a cop searches you, you will be caught and returned with severe punishment! I had a friend do that, and she died!  
She…died! She died! She died!  
She was killed by her owner!  
Can you hear me, 832?!”

Yami felt his breath leave his body and his ears began ringing.  
She addressed him by his number.  
They didn’t have names.  
He had foolishly forgotten his earlier lessons from the nameless boy.  
  
One of them had died at the hands of a rough owner, in a foreign country.  
  
Having a gentle owner didn’t make him any different from Lina, or the dead girl.

“I hear you,” Yami said hoarsely as feeling began to return to his fingers when she let go.

“And use your hole, for god’s sake, 832. How do you expect to find a boyfriend or girlfriend right off the street if you don’t?”

“I’ll remember that,” Yami replied, feeling his tongue swell he tried to imagine any man or woman dominating him other than Seto. He couldn’t do it.

“Go to bars…gay bars if you like men,” Lina said, trying to be helpful. “Any man who will house you for the night, or the week while they’re away at work, is good.  
Play house-wife.  
Play dumb but be smart about it.  
Wear a cover so you don’t catch a disease.  
Use the media to monitor your owner’s actions from afar.  
He is famous, so cameras follow him. Understand?”

“I understand,” Yami mumbled, not understanding at all. What cover? What media?

“And the most important advice I can give you, which I wish I knew,” Lina declared, her voice trembling with a repressed sob. And the text on the screen flitted in broken paragraphs as she hiccupped between her words. “….is to blend in.  
  
Japanese people will see you.  
Automatically.  
You’re different.  
Our color is different.  
The moment your owner describes  
a “dark-skinned spiky-haired foreigner”  
to any person, you will be found.  
So, go to places without people, or stick in huge crowds. But be wary of being followed, lest you be raped by a total stranger.”

“I understand,” Yami chanted, never wanting to leave a place more than he did now.

“Good. You will survive. You’re prettier than me,” She said adamantly. “I feel like I’m dying. I want to die. In fact, what’s to stop me from throwing myself off this edge right now?”

“This boat isn’t going fast enough for you to die,” Yami said numbly, as he remembered he had considered doing the same thing when he first entered the room with Seto.

“Right.” Lina agreed solemnly, “And I need to die instantly. I’ve felt enough pain. But I’ve never had a good sex ever since my first owner, and I hate that.  
Do you want to sex with me before I find a way to kill myself on this ship?  
You’re pretty. I can do it well with you.  
You’ll feel good too.  
You want your hole done?  
I know how to do that.  
I’m experienced.”

“I don’t think I can,” Yami breathed, his heart pounding painfully in his chest with a mixture of pity and disgust. “My owner will find out. He said so.”

“No he won’t,” Lina said lightly, “He let you up here freely now, how would he know? You’re that in love with him? Wow, you’re not going to survive being re-sold.”

“He told me…in my ear…” Yami mumbled, and he heard Lina let out a shrill laugh, and it made the hair on his arm stand on end.

That was a laugh so devoid of emotion, it made his teeth hurt.

“I saw that!” Lina jeered, “Sweet whispering your ear like a lover, “Don’t cheat on me! I won’t cheat on you! I love you, I like you! You’re the only one I see! Can I buy you something to show my love? Or do you want me to lick you with my mouth?  
I know you like both! Let’s do both!”

“Shut the fuck up!” Yami hissed, sweeping the phone up and clicking it off, rising to his feet, seething.

Lina was still cackling like a madwoman, rocking back and forth in her seat, tears streaking down her beautiful face. “You’re so blind! You’re so blind and you’re going to be so hurt! I can see it already! I wish I would be alive to see it! Goodbye 832! May we never speak again!”

“Good riddance, and may your death be painful,” Yami hissed, turning a heel and stalking off, hearing her call after him in Japanese.

“It would be the sweetest pain! See you in hell!”

Yami felt the phone vibrate in his hand as he strode through the golden doors, and he glanced down at it, reading the message, realizing with a jolt that Seto had written it in Arabic.

“ **Kai-tablet3:** Yami, come back already. I’m waiting. I ordered food because we skipped dinner. Hurry up. I don’t want to eat alone.”

Yami tapped the message to compose a reply.

He leaned his back against the wall, feeling his heart ache as he stood alone in the narrow hallway, feeling a gut-wrenching sob force itself out from his body.

He sat down heavily onto the carpet, not caring who would see him if they decided to walk by.  
He felt heated tears sliding uncontrollably down his face and he hated himself for feeling this way.  
He knew Lina was right.  
He even knew that he was getting carried away.  
But he couldn’t help it.  
Seto was too kind, too handsome.  
Too everything.

Shaking, Yami composed a text message in Japanese with both hands, the screen blurring terribly in his vision.

Seto saw heard his tablet ping, and he glanced down at it, expecting to see a message from Yami saying that he was lost somewhere on the ship.

But instead, it read:

“ **Blueeye-cell** : I love you. I can’t bear to say it to you in person, so let me say it here.”

Letting out an amused huff, Seto responded quickly, feeling as if his chest was about to explode with happiness. Yeah ok. Great. Come the fuck back in so we can fuck.

Yami felt the phone buzz and he wiped the tears off from his face, hating himself. He read Seto’s response in Arabic, unable to read it any further as his eyes continued to blur with tears.

“ **Kai-tablet3:** This isn’t a place to exchange little lovey-dovey messages.  
Come back up or are you lost somewhere?  
Answer quickly. I want kiss you deeply.  
I love you too, Yami.  
The food is getting cold for fuck’s sake.”

Hugging his knees to his chest, Yami repressed another choking sob, a blanket of despair suffocating him with every breath he took. Lina was wrong.  
She was just bitter.  
She had been broken by rape and multiple owners.  
She was just jealous.  
Lina was wrong.

“Oh…a lost puppy…!” A voice cried above him, and Yami jerked his head up, his vision sharpening instantly as the face of Pegasus swam into his view, his long silver hair framing his face in an odd, angular fashion.

Yami scrambled to his feet and glanced around frantically, wondering which way he could run in order to dodge this man.

The gold buttons on his red suit were blinding and flashy, and Yami hated it.

“You don’t know the way back?” Pegasus asked gleefully, “Or did you get into a fight with your boyfriend?”

Yami blinked and hesitated. What? What boyfriend?

“Ah, you did,” Pegasus said knowingly. “Well you’re welcome in my private suite, anytime!”

“No thanks,” Yami said viciously, edging along the wall, eager to get away from him. He hurried out of the hallway and spied the velvet stairs, making a beeline for it, feeling Pegasus follow him closely at his heels.

“How did you do it?” Pegasus pressed, sounding deeply curious. “Where did you come from? You captured Kaiba-boy’s heart so easily! Tell me, I want to know!”

Yami paused on a section of the stairs, standing three steps above Pegasus, who had his arms thrown out to the side, looking imploringly up at him, and Yami realized with a jolt that this man was also after Seto.  
Romantically. Probably.  
He couldn’t be sure.  
Was there any one in the world who wasn’t after Seto romantically?  
He felt so attacked!

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Yami responded, feeling his phone buzz in his hand, and he barely read it before managing to text a reply with one hand, feeling Pegasus’s eyes on him.

“You have his phone,” Pegasus said adamantly. “Are you sure? Maybe you just haven’t made it… _official_.”

“I don’t understand. I don’t speak Japanese,” Yami replied shortly, turning to continue up the steps, his heart pounding frantically in his chest. This man was so strange!

Seto was lounging leisurely in the bed when he heard three rapid knocks on his door. Yami!

He threw the covers off himself and gingerly stepped into his pants, feeling his asshole thrum with a numbing ache. It didn’t hurt as much this morning, but damn, Yami really knew how to put him through his paces.

He swung the door open eagerly, and saw two unfamiliar faces standing before him, and he panicked internally, wishing he had bothered to put a shirt on before carelessly opening the door. He had been expecting Yami!

Instead….it was two women.

Annabelle was smiling grotesquely at him, with her pouty overdone lips, and…

Seto felt his blood run cold as the girl from dinner gazed at him with empty green eyes.  
Lina, was it?  
Wait, what was she doing here?  
Wasn’t she supposed to be talking with Yami?  
Then…where was Yami?!

“May we come in, Mr. Kaiba?” She asked sweetly, and Kaiba resisted the urge to slam the door in both of their faces, but he knew Yami would never forgive him for doing that to his…new friend? Had they even met to talk?

And Seto realized he was outnumbered here.  
He needed to check his tablet.  
He needed to get his fucking shit together.

“Come in,” he said stiffly, swinging the door back, and walking inside, reaching for his shirt and throwing it on casually while hastily snatching up his tablet, seeing a frantic, misspelled message from Yami.

“ **Blueeye-cell:** PEGAUS!”

Shit.  
  
Seto cursed internally and watched as the two women seated themselves on the plush leather couch, blinking expectantly at him.

Shit.  
Fuck.  
Shit.  
  
He’d have to trust Yami would be able to handle himself with Pegasus while he dealt with this shit.

Seto moved to close the door and he stood by it, his legs screaming at him to run down the hallway and never look back. He would have to ask for a different room after this.

“Sit!” Annabelle said, flapping her hands at the couch, her nails sparkling in the light, and Seto refused.

“I’m good here,” he said coldly, forcing himself not to feel anything as Lina gave him another long, empty stare. Did she come from the same place as Yami? He was itching to find out.

“Well,” Annabelle said prettily sliding one leg over the other, flashing the center of her crotch as she did so, and Kaiba felt himself recoil internally. “I’m so glad you like the gift I bought for you. Honestly, I was so scared you were going to throw it away!”

What?

Seto wavered, feeling himself grow cold all over as his ears began ringing loudly. What?

He caught a look of absolute terror and guilt flashing across Lina’s face, and he made direct eye-contact, trying to communicate with her. Where is Yami?!

He saw her blush deeply and lower her gaze respectfully. Shit.

“What gift?” Seto asked numbly, thinking he already had a feeling he knew, but he needed to hear it for himself.

“Seriously, are you that dense Seto Kaiba?” Annabelle sighed glancing around the room. “Where is he? Are you hiding him somewhere? Let me say hi! He’s a pretty little thing isn’t he?”

No.  
Fuck.  
Oh.  
Fuck.  
No.  
  
“You’re a monster,” Seto hissed, pointing at the door. “Get out.” And he saw the Lina’s green eyes widen with surprise.

“I came here to offer you a truce, Seto!” She said slowly, rising to her feet, looking slightly mad. “I gave you a private toy, a personal maid! You don’t even know how to appreciate me! Look what I’ve done for you! What did you do with him? Is he dead?”

“How did you get him into the country?” Seto asked coldly, planting his feet firmly apart, doing his best to ignore the frantic heartbeat inside his chest.  
He was in a room with a horrific, human-trafficking monster.  
Stay calm.  
He needed to keep the room safe…for Yami.

“Flew him in on one of daddy’s planes,” Annabelle said, all matter-of-factly, and Seto felt his heart rate increase as Lina’s eyes began to water at the edges. Oh shit. “Mr. Pegasus sends his regards. Daddy thanks you for agreeing to meet with him at dinner tomorrow!”

“Yeah, I’m not going to that,” Seto breathed, unable to find the energy to sound hostile anymore. He felt faint and nauseous.

“Yes you are!” Annabelle insisted, shaking her head, and Lina beside her, tensed, blinking rapidly. Danger.  
Seto sensed this immediately and moved to step closer to her, eyeing the wine bottle sticking out of the cart. Anything could be used as a weapon, so he needed to be careful.

“Right, I am,” Seto said amicably, thinking that he would say anything to get them to leave peacefully.

“Good,” Annabelle huffed, and Seto saw the girl beside her relax. Crisis averted. For now. “Bring him, and dress him up. Daddy wanted to see what the fuss was all about.”

Seto blinked rapidly, thinking he would sit, after all.  
Her father was in on this?!?  
Of course he was!  
He had been eating dinner with Lina!

He moved towards the couch and sat down shakily across from Lina, feeling her eyes on him. He glanced up and caught a deep look of sympathy across her face.

“Do you see how a partnership would be greatly beneficial to you?” Annabelle pressed, standing over him threateningly. “Let’s have a threesome!”

Seto snapped his head up and looked right at Lina, seeing her eyes shining hopefully, and he felt his skin crawl with an unending sense of dread.  
Oh…fuck no!

It all made sense!  
Lina had somehow stuck Yami with Pegasus, so they could both come in here to ambush him while he was alone and vulnerable.  
Fuck.  
Fuck.  
  
“Lina, be a good girl and sit on his lap while I massage his shoulders,” Annabelle said greedily, moving to circle the couch, and Seto leapt to his feet, feeling his knees buckle instantly as a searing pain jolted up his backside, and he cursed, hearing the women laughing at him.

A tanned hand slid across his vision and warm hands palmed his face, and Seto jerked his head away, painfully getting to his feet, only to be dragged to the ground again, by a pair of tanned arms wrapping around his waist, and Seto cursed loudly again.  
Holy shit, he was about to be raped.  
This was not happening.  
  
He was forcefully rolled over onto his back and a terrible weight settled on his legs as cold, sharp fingers dug into his shoulders, pressing his upper body to the ground, and Seto bit back a grunt as his legs trembled with pain trickling down from his hole. Shit…shit!

He craned his neck forward, seeing Lina sitting pertinently on his legs, expertly undoing his belt with alarming ease, and a pair of breasts smothered his face as Annabelle leaned over his face to help Lina.

Seto felt his eyes watering as his pants were yanked down to his ankles and warm hands padded up his thighs, roughly grabbing his balls and giving them a coarse rub, and Seto felt his world spin violently as his nausea rose higher and higher.  
Fight!  
Run!  
Move!  
Why wasn’t his body moving?  
Everything was dark, and Seto felt himself suffocating as he heard Annabelle’s voice echoing somewhere far above him. “Make him hard with your mouth…! I want to sit on him after you!”

And the terrible image of Gozaburo’s ugly face loomed above him in the darkness, his round, disgusting fat hands patting his lap as he sat at his desk behind the scenic skyline of Domino City. _“Come here Seto, you deserve a reward…”_

Yami dashed down the hallway towards the door, with Pegasus still close at his heels, raining questions upon him non-stop.

“Did you meet him at a function? A pool party? Have you seen him shirtless? Hey! I’m talking to you!” Pegasus said angrily, huffing slightly as he attempted to keep up with Yami’s frantic pace. “Slow down! Old man here!”

“Shut up…shut up!” Yami said quietly under his breath, keeping his gaze on the door at the end of the hallway. It would be unlocked. He would run inside to grab a knife, then turn around and threaten Pegasus to go away.

He reached the door and shouldered it open, freezing on the spot as he tried to process the scene happening before him.

Seto’s legs were twitching and trembling, his pants and underwear pulled down around his ankles as Lina hovered over his dick, holding a tiny foil wrapper, while another woman had pinned Seto’s shoulders down onto the floor, her nails digging visibly into his shirt with his face smothered underneath her bosom.

Yami felt ice shoot through his core and he heard Pegasus gasp behind him. “Oh…no! Get away from him, you mongrels!”

And Yami forced himself to move, boiling with rage and hatred towards Lina.  
She had tricked him!  
Led him to an isolated area of the ship and made it so that he would be too late!

Well it wasn’t too late, and Pegasus was no longer the threat.

Yami leaped over the back of the couch and grabbed Lina by the hair, yanking her head up way from Seto’s flaccid penis, hissing the broken bits of Hebrew insults he knew, “You fucking slut. You said you wanted to die? You die here, now!”

“Oh…Oh my god! S-Seto! Make him stop!!” Annabelle shrieked, leaning up from Kaiba’s face, and Kaiba sat up painfully, feeling the pressure ease up from his legs, He gasped for air, grabbing at his pants around his ankles with shaking fingers.

Yami felt Lina tense in his arms as he tightened his grip in her hair, shouting at the other woman in Arabic, knowing the language barrier always made Japanese people uneasy. _“Get out! Get the fuck out!”_  
  
And Yami watched as Seto slowly got to his feet and stumbled, easing himself into a sitting position on the couch with his head between his knees.

 _“I did it because you are stupid,”_ Lina grinned, licking her lips, speaking Arabic in her heavy accent. _“He looked like he would taste bad anyway.”_

Yami felt a small wave of relief wash over him as he realized she hadn’t actually touched his owner, and he shook her by the hair, snarling into her face, _“You fucking---”_

Strong arms grabbed him by the armpits and Yami felt himself being lifted away, and Lina was dragged away from him by the ankles, screaming shrilly as the other woman’s face turned ugly as she pulled the girl violently across the carpet towards the balcony.  
  
“Stop it! No fighting!” Pegasus admonished, sounding deeply shaken. “Kaiba! Do something!”

Seto snapped out of his stupor slowly rose to his feet and advancing towards Annabelle, thinking he would do time for murder if he could make her feel even an inch of what she made him feel.

“Fuck off!” Yami hissed, roughly elbowing Pegasus behind him, hearing him yelp in pain. “Get off me you old man!”

Yami raced to stand by his owner, who was watching a fight unfold between Annabelle and Lina.

Annabelle had pressed Lina against the glass, shouting in her ear. “You fucked it up you stupid bitch! What the fuck is in your head? Do you have a brain?!”

Yami froze, feeling his blood run cold as he recalled Lina had used the similar words against him. This ugly woman…was Lina’s owner!

“Get the fuck out, both of you, before I have security throw you off-board,” Seto said shakily, feeling like he needed to vomit. He felt cold all over, and he itched in his own skin.

The two women froze, and Seto took this chance to raise his voice, “Get the fuck out!”

There was a long silence, and Annabelle released Lina. Yami watched as she dropped limply to the floor, shaking violently as Annabelle walked straight towards the door and hissed in a commanding tone, “Come, you useless dog.”

She swept down the hallway without glancing behind her and Yami watched, horrified as Lina slowly rose to her feet as if she were in a trance.  
  
Yami watched as she marched past him and out the door, and the ringing silence that followed was suffocating.

Pegasus stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking around quickly before clapping his hands together loudly and crying out, “Okie dokie! Bye!”

He stepped out through the door and grabbed the handle, looking over his shoulder at Kaiba. “See you at the dinner tomorrow night Kaiba-boy!”

The door shut with an echoing click, and the silence continued to ring.

Yami felt his chest constricting so much, he could barely breathe. He felt like crying and yelling at the same time. Lina was…despicable!

He reached out to touch Seto’s arm, seeing him flinch, and walk away, moving towards the bathroom, and Yami felt his heart freeze in his chest. Wh-What was that?

Seto was numb. He stripped off all his clothes and turned the shower on, hating himself. He stood under the water, seeing Yami’s steamy silhouette hovering by his door, he felt a bubble of gratitude towards him.

Yami had saved him by yanking the girl off of him…and just in time too.

Hastily slapping soap all over his body, Seto grit his teeth, shivering even though the water was steaming hot. He shut it off and stood in the middle of the shower stall, shivering uncontrollably, feeling as if everything was moving in slow motion around him, but his heart was racing thousand beats per minute.  
Oh fuck, he knew this feeling.  
It was a panic attack.

Seto knelt in the shower, forcing himself to take deep breaths, reminding himself that everything was going to be fine, that everything was going to be fine, that everything was going to be fine, that ever—

The shower door slid open and Yami stepped in, fully clothed, draping a towel over his shoulders and gently patting him dry. The towel moved to his hair and down the back of his neck, and the gentle motions were bringing tears to his eyes.

Warm hands on his shoulders steadied him as he somehow managed to stand and make his way back to the bed.

Yami sat down carefully beside Seto, hearing his stomach grumble loudly before noticing several covered plates on the kitchen counter. He eyed Seto carefully, watching his owner sit motionless on the edge of the bed, unwilling to get dressed.

Sighing, Yami grabbed a fresh set of clothes and tossed them at Seto. “I’m hungry, let’s eat.”

He was ignored.

Seto stared at the bundle of sleepwear in his lap, struggling with himself. His body felt heavy, and his arms and legs wouldn’t move on command.

He felt Yami move in front of him and bend down at his feet, looping his pants around his ankles and attempting to push them up his legs.

Yami grit his teeth, his eyes watering with guilt and sorrow. He knew he was partially responsible for the attack, because he had left Seto alone in the room. He had foolishly left Seto alone.

 _I can’t ever leave him alone!_ Yami thought in a rush, feeling slightly relieved as he saw Seto ease himself into a standing position to slowly pull on his pants and shrug on his shirt.  
  
He tugged gently on Seto’s arm, glad to see he wasn’t flinching away from his touch, and he led him over to the kitchen counter.

Seto sat down heavily on the barstool, seeing Yami pull the silver lids off their plates and stick a fork in his food.

“Eat, even if you’re not hungry,” Yami urged, steadily slicing up his lamb, secretly glad that Seto had re-ordered what they had at the restaurant, but everything had gone cold.

“Do you want it hot?” Yami asked quietly, peering into Seto’s face, seeing his owner shake his head and pick up his fork to begin eating.

Seto chewed his food, not tasting anything. He swallowed, and felt the food stick in his throat like a terrible lump before a gut wrenching dry heave shook his body, and he raced over to the sink, bending over it and vomiting.

Yami dropped his fork with a loud clatter, shock freezing him in place for a solid second before he moved himself to help Seto, seeing the man bent over the sink, gasping as his body heaved again.

Numb with pity and distress, Yami filled a glass of water and handed it to Seto, seeing him take it, slowly cleaning his mouth and then setting it down with a heavy clink on the marble counter before leaning forward to splash his face with water from the sink.

“Be right back,” Seto mumbled, trudging into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Yami stood very still, listening to the sounds of running water from the bathroom, his chest curling with disgust and loathing for Lina and her owner.  
Those two were dangerous.  
They had traumatized his owner so much, he had vomited!

And Yami decided right there on the spot that he would get Lina a knife. If she wanted to die that badly, then so be it. If he were in Lina’s position, with that horrible woman as his owner, forcing him to take on “clients”, he would beg for death too, so it was only fair.

Seto walked out of the bathroom and threw himself down on the bed, pulling the covers up over his head. Yami’s light scent drifted up around him and he found that it was easier to breathe now. The knot in his stomach had vanished, and he was pleasantly warm beneath the covers.

He felt the bed dip down, and the sheets were peeled away from his face. Yami hovered above him, looking deeply concerned.

“I’m okay,” Seto said hollowly, thinking that if he said it enough, Yami would believe it.

Yami nodded and slipped himself beneath the covers, inching forward to lay his head on Seto’s chest, listening to the strong heartbeat beneath his ear.

Seto was so fragile sometimes…did people know that? If all they saw was a cold, mean, rich man, then they were blind. Seto was human, just like everyone else.

Seto shut his eyes and buried his fingers through Yami’s spiky hair, pressing his nose into it as well, inhaling deeply. This…was so warm and comforting.

Yami felt himself drifting off, and he heard Seto mumble something above him. He lifted his head up slightly. “What?”

“Thank you…” Seto said softly, falling deeper into the bed as his head spun with exhaustion and fatigue.

Yami blinked rapidly and nodded, feeling Seto’s breathing even out beneath him and he cursed Lina in his mind one last time before shutting his eyes and letting sleep take him.

* * *

A bright light shone obtrusively through the crack in the curtains, and Seto felt his eyelids ache as he pried them open, realized he was immobilized as Yami’s arms and legs were draped across his body.

What time was it? Also, where was his phone?

Seto laid his head back onto the pillow, listening to the own thumping of his heartbeat. He shut his eyes for a long moment, waiting for the events of last night to flash through his mind.  
Nothing.

Good.  
He had effectively cleansed himself of that horror.

Yami’s warmth was seeping steadily into him from above and he sighed deeply, appreciating Yami’s presence.

Meeting that bitch Annabelle had produced a good thing.  
Yami.  
So in a weird, sick, twisted way, he had to thank her, and he secretly wondered how Yami would feel about it if he knew.

Deciding it was better to never bring up the subject of Yami’s purchase to Yami, ever, Seto sat up slowly and let Yami roll off his body. He slid off the bed and walked over to the window, quietly pushing the glass door aside to step out onto the balcony.  

The ocean was sparkling as the wind whipped his hair merrily around his face, and the sun warmed his back wonderfully. It was good day to be alive.

He left the door open, letting the scent of the salt air waft into the room as he climbed back into bed to curl himself up against Yami’s body, burying his nose into the nape of Yami’s neck.

“Yami…” Seto whispered, feeling Yami stretch and graze his toes roughly along his shins. “I know you’re awake…Yami…”

Yami felt his mind buzz warmly as strong arms circled his waist and squeezed him tightly. Seto’s voice drifted into his consciousness and he wiggled his toes happily, feeling them graze along soft skin. Seto.

 _“Yami…wake up…. Can we wake up while the sun is still up?”_ Seto asked quietly, his tongue catching on the unfamiliar Arabic syllables as he spoke.

Yami smiled softly in his sleep and snuggled deeper into his pillow, thinking he was dreaming a wonderful dream.

Seto slipped his fingers through the edge of Yami’s waistband and he brushed the backs of his knuckles against Yami’s semi-hard penis, turning his hand boldly to give it a firm squeeze, feeling Yami shudder happily against him.

 _“You like that?”_ Seto said playfully, feeling Yami curl his knees up to his chest, effectively trapping his hand in his crotch. Fucking cute.

He gave Yami’s foreskin a gentle roll between his fingers, bunching the skin and stretching it out over the tip of Yami’s head, feeling the tip leak wetly, and he smirked, giving Yami’s dick a long, even stroke upwards, feeling Yami tense and shudder again.

“Yami…. Yami…” Seto whispered gleefully, wrapping his fingers around Yami’s heated cock, stroking him firmly, up and down, up and down, up and down, enjoying the way Yami rolled his body back against his, shivering pleasurably.

Aroused, Seto inched his pants down along his waist and pressed the tip of his dick firmly between Yami’s ass cheeks, hearing Yami make an odd sound and squirm.

Yami relished in the wonderful heat that was spreading from his core all the way down his legs, feeling it travel up his body and land directly in his groin. He felt a delicious clenching deep in his stomach as a heated sensation prodded at his hole. Yes…! Seto was going to dirty him…because that meant Seto wanted to keep him.

“Yami…wake up,” Seto growled, rubbing his dick firmly between Yami’s ass, leaning back slightly to glance down at himself underneath the covers before shutting his eyes and pressing himself flush against Yami’s body, imagining he was shoving himself deep into Yami’s ass.

Yami bit back soft cry as he felt Seto’s dick slide thickly between his thighs and rub wetly underneath his balls, the mattress dipping violently beneath him as Seto shoved himself forward insistently, panting his name in his ear.

“Yami…I need you…to wake up…” Seto hissed, enjoying the electric threads of pleasure shooting up from his dick to his chest, causing his heart to pound faster and his head to spin. He felt Yami tense and squeeze his thighs tighter together, and Seto felt an immense rush of satisfaction as he released Yami’s dick and reached down to palm Yami’s hip, holding him steady while he continued to thrust vigorously between his legs.

Yami’s eyes shot open the moment Seto’s hand left his hardness, and he let out a soft cry, reaching down to grab himself, stroking with equal vigor and strength as Seto’s breaths grew shallow behind him, his thighs chafing and feeling wonderfully hot as Seto’s dick slid in and out between his thighs, sometimes pushing his balls up higher into his body, sending wild shivers down his spine.

He stroked himself faster and harder, shutting his eyes and pushing his ass back against Seto’s body, imagining Seto ramming into him, deep, hard, and fast. The thought alone was enough to make him cum, and Seto felt Yami tremble violently before a sticky wetness coated the tip of his dick as he continued shoving himself between Yami’s legs.

Yami was panting, and Seto could barely understand what he was saying over the ringing of his own ears.

“I-Inside…I-Inside please,” Yami gasped, clenching his hole tightly, not caring if it would hurt. Seto loved him, and love warranted a bit of pain. He would endure it!

 _Shit_ , Seto thought faintly, _too late_. He let out a soft grunt and felt a deep orgasm rip its way up his body as he ejaculated, clutching Yami to his body, feeling his heart thundering in his chest as his breathing slowed back to its normal pace.

Yami blinked, the sun stinging his eyes, causing them to water. He had wanted…Seto to enter him! Had he not been clear?

Yami flipped himself around and pressed himself against Seto’s body, feeling the semen sit wetly on his skin and smear along Seto’s side.

Seto drew his breath in in a sharp hiss.  
Fucking wet!  
Yami was such a perv!

Yami saw Seto’s eyes widen, his handsome face splitting into a boyish grin. “Hey, you’re awake.”

“Enter me,” Yami said seriously, pressing his forehead towards Seto’s, giving his owner’s nose a playful bite.  
  
He would beg his owner to take his hole, and then Seto would keep him.  
There was no need to run. Seto needed him!  
They loved each other, and he wasn’t being foolish or stupid.  
Lina was wrong.

Seto felt the bed dip down beneath him as Yami’s sweet breath panned down his face, warming his entire being.  
Excuse me, what?

“I’m a little…” Seto scrambled for the right words. He didn’t want to turn Yami down immediately, but his thighs were still aching from their earlier fucking. They also had a dinner to attend…tonight. “I can’t right now, Yami. Maybe later.”

Yami pulled back, astounded by this answer. He blinked at Seto for a full minute, trying to stem the bubble of disappointment welling up inside him.  
Did Seto just…refuse to enter him?

“You don’t want me,” Yami said bluntly, and it wasn’t a question.

Seto shook his head frantically, cupping Yami’s face in his hands, “I want it. Very much. Just not now. My body hurts. And I want it to feel good for you.”

Yami blinked and nodded, understanding that Seto was still stressed from the horrific events last night. He watched Seto sit up slowly and move to the end of the bed, offering him a hand. “Let’s wash…”

He pressed his hand into Seto’s palm, feeling Seto give his fingers a tight squeeze, and he was pulled into the bathroom, his heart soaring wonderfully.

* * *

**Author’s note:**

EEE thank you slaycinder for your wonderful and helpful edits!!! Thank the heavens for youuu!!

And not to cause panic or anything, but this fic will be ending soon in a few chapters! Thank you all for sticking it out and reading it with me here! This is a bit of dark fic, but I’m having fun!

Love to hear back from you in the comments section!!

Hugs,

UGLI


	22. but inside, I am always still “me”

Isono opened the door, seeing Yana-san, Yami’s Kanji teacher standing before him.

He bowed her in, cursing himself for forgetting to cancel the lesson.

She began to head up the stairs and Isono cleared his throat, watching her slowly turn to face him.  
  
“Yes?” She asked politely, bowing forward slightly.

“There’s no need to continue the lessons,” Isono said quietly, gesturing towards the door. “We are very sorry to have wasted your time coming here today. You will be compensated for this lesson period.”

“I’m not taking your money until I’ve taught a student,” Yana-san said firmly, moving toward the door. “Please call me when you need me again. Yami has not yet completed the textbook. Please tell that to Mr. Kaiba.”

“It will be fine. He can self-study quite well,” Isono replied coldly, “Thank you for your time.”

“Very well,” Yana-san replied doubtfully, stepping through the door and hearing it shut behind her with a soft click. Something was nagging at her, so she pulled out her phone and sent Kaiba a quick text before walking down the steps and towards the waiting car by the front of the house.

Seto heard his phone buzzing across the couch cushions and he tousled his hair dry, reaching for it quickly to see if it was Mokuba, but to his surprise, it was Yana-san.

 _“Isono-san has told me that I am no longer needed, but Yami has yet to complete textbooks 3 and 4, as per your request._  
_I am messaging you to confirm this cancellation, and please send Yami my regards._  
  
_He is a delightful student. Your foreign friend would do well in school if he did choose to attend!_  
  
_Thank you very much.”_

 _My friend,_ Seto thought darkly, clicking his phone off. _Yeah right._

Isono was up to no good, apparently sending the teacher away without his approval, and Seto wasn’t sure he was in the mood to find out what the fuck Isono was trying to do.  
  
Hindering Yami’s education wasn’t going to help him become independent faster.

“Who that?” Yami asked quietly, purposely speaking badly, and Seto snapped his head up to stare at Yami for a long moment before correcting him.

“Who _is_ that,” he growled in response, reaching for a shirt. “Your tutor, Yana-san. Complimenting you.”

Yami blinked, watching Seto get dressed, and he reached out to touch, pressing his palms flat across Seto’s chest, enjoying the way his tiny nipples perked up under his palms, and his hand was swatted away irritably.

“Stop that,” Seto hissed, feeling himself heating up inadvertently. “Get dressed. We need to buy you a suit.”

“A what?” Yami said incredulously, wondering why on earth Seto was hell bent on spoiling him with clothes. He quickly stepped into his pants and froze, realizing that he had given Lina the matching jacket that went with this pair of pants.  
  
Oh no…would Seto notice?  
Would Seto be angry?  
  
Either way, he would have to get his jacket back!  
It was a set!  
  
Yami had also been thinking about giving his clothes to Mokuba when he got big enough to fit them!

“What’s wrong?” Seto asked, striding to the mirror to adjust his tie, seeing Yami shake his head in the reflection and resume getting dressed.

Seto slid his belt around his waist and shook the hair out of his eyes, satisfied with his appearance, and he could see Yami staring at him from behind, his wide-eyed expression reflected in the mirror.

He strode over to the door and held it open for Yami, watching Yami smile nervously and sweep past him. Seto bit his lower lip and reached down to give Yami a playful smack on the ass, hearing Yami’s sharp gasp echo up and down the empty hallway.

Yami bit his tongue and whirled around, throwing his arms around Seto’s waist as Seto was locking the door, clinging onto him with great strength, slipping his hand in through the lapels of his suit and finding his nipples with his palm and giving one a hard pinch through his dress shirt.

“God…stop!” Seto hissed, trying to shake Yami off as he walked down the hallway, and a maid turned the corner, wheeling her cart in front of her, pausing in her steps to stare at them.

Yami stiffened and instantly let go of Seto, seeing the maid blush and giggle.

Seto grabbed Yami by the shoulders and squeezed him gently, staring deeply into his angular violet eyes, seeing the playful smile steadily slip off from his face.

“Don’t do that when we’re in public, okay?” Seto said gruffly, thinking his business partners would never take him seriously if they ever saw Yami slip his hand in through his blazer to pinch his nipples in the middle of a serious conversation.

“We’re in public now,” Yami said indignantly, hearing the maid giggle behind him again, and he couldn’t help but feel a sudden rush of irritation.  
Seto didn’t want to publicly display affection anymore?  
Why? He was fine with holding hands in the elevator yesterday!  
In front of that maid, no less!

Seto rolled his eyes and stepped into the elevator, feeling Yami follow him closely and attempt to hold his hand. Sighing, Seto let him, feeling his arm tingle as Yami’s warmth seeped through his body, and he reached for his phone, texting out a sentence and holding it out for Yami to see.

Yami glanced at it halfheartedly, not bothering to read it in Arabic because he could easily read it in Japanese.

 **Japanese:** There is an important function later on. Please be serious. I’m not playing around.

 _That damn dinner Lina was talking about_ , Yami thought, disgruntled, realizing that Seto was buying him a suit for the function.

The elevator stopped on a floor Yami had never seen before, and he gaped at the sudden change.

There were brightly lit shops lining the sides, and this entire floor looked like a shopping center!

“Stay close,” Seto said, irritated to see that Yami was slowing in his steps to stare, awestruck at the glittering store fronts.

Yami nodded and fell into step beside Seto, his eyes watering from the brightness of it all, and a store with interesting toys caught his eye.  
  
He raced towards the glass, gazing at the colorful spinning objects, neon puzzle pieces, and mirrored chess boards all lined up in the display.

The chess pieces were made of frosted glass, and Yami ached to feel one in his hands.  
  
He had only ever touched tiny, wooden pieces, which had come in a tiny folded cases, carried in the pockets of several soldiers who patrolled in the parks he frequented on slow afternoons.  
They would take their smoke breaks and challenge him to a game whenever they were feeling bored, offering him coins, dried fruit, pocket knives, or tactical knowledge, as a reward for beating them in a game.  
  
He had gotten so good, that the soldiers had refused to play with him anymore, and he had stopped frequenting the park.

“Hey…”

Yami was jolted out of his thoughts as Seto stood beside him, staring down at the game boards with a strange look on his face.

“You want to play?” Seto asked, feeling his tongue swell as his heart leapt up into his throat with anticipation. Did Yami know how to play chess…or checkers?  
Or was he just interested in the weird spinning objects?

Yami nodded seriously, and Seto walked into the store, feeling Yami follow him closely at his heels. There were several tall tables with game boards on them, and a few groups of people were huddled around each table, laughing merrily while playing and sipping wine.

Seto spied an empty table and led Yami towards it eagerly. Yami followed, bumping clumsily into Seto’s back as his owner stopped abruptly in his steps, and Yami leaned back, rubbing his nose in pain.

“Mr. Kaiba!” A store employee cried happily, clapping his hands together excitedly.

Yami stared at this man, the red-and-white stripes on his shirt were making his eyes hurt. What did this man want?!  
  
“I daresay you are here to sign up for the chess tournament that is happening here in thirty minutes, but alas, I’m afraid that would be terribly unfair to all the other players!” The man said keenly, bowing politely at Yami who was hovering uncertainly behind Kaiba.

“Ah, but your foreign friend is more than welcome to join! The grand prize is…” And the man pointed to the back of the room with a flourish, and Yami realized with a jolt that it was a super car, sitting on a spinning mirrored platform with an angular body, and its doors were open upwards, like wings.

 _What a terrible prize,_ Yami thought blithely as he recalled polishing a similar car in Seto’s garage.  
Even if his owner was barred from entering, it didn’t matter because he already had a car like this one.  
Wait.  
Why was Seto barred from entering?!  
_“Terribly unfair…!”_ the man had said.

“Would you like to enter, young man?”  The employee implored, addressing Yami. He turned pale as Kaiba stepped in front of Yami protectively, growling, “How many rounds?”

“D-Depends on how many people have signed up by the end of the cut-off period, M-Mr. Kaiba,” The man stammered, looking slightly terrified. “B-But again…a world class c-champion like yourself…it’s a little unfair…you know?”

Yami felt his jaw drop to the floor when he heard this, his ears ringing with shock as he wondered if he had heard correctly.  
World?? Class?? Champion??  
Seto??  
His owner?!  
Seto? This Seto?!  
The one that was standing before him right now?  
Well, then, he had no chance if he played against his owner!

“We’ll think about it,” Seto hissed, moving towards the empty table, wondering how much chess he could manage to teach Yami in thirty minutes…if Yami wanted to enter.

The employee bowed deeply and scurried away.

Yami was still standing, frozen in place, watching Seto seat himself at the tall chair and flip the board around, giving him the white side.

“Sit, and let’s see how much you can pick up in thirty minutes,” Seto said vehemently, pointing at the chair.

Seto felt disappointment curling in his chest as he watched Yami stare blankly at the Lamborghini at the back of the room. Had Yami even been listening to their conversation? He seemed to be fixated on material things…!

“Yami!” Seto hissed, pointing at the seat. “Sit.”

Yami snapped out of his trance and climbed up on the seat, shaking with nervousness. World class….! A world class champion.  
How big was the world?  
How many people played chess?  
It was too much for him to comprehend!

“White goes first,” Seto said blandly, moving to slip out his phone, thinking that if he had to translate every single sentence he spoke, it might take a lot more than thirty minutes, but to his surprise, Yami nodded and replied swiftly. “I know.”  
And he moved a pawn forward two spaces with practiced ease.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Seto left his phone in his pocket and responded quickly, mirroring Yami’s move. He would copy every move Yami would make, using this as a litmus test to see how much Yami knew how to play.

To his great excitement, Yami caught on to his strategy very quickly, even baiting him to make a stupid move.

Yami knew Seto was testing him, and he was determined to show him that he meant business. He knew his chess knowledge was a bit lacking compared to Seto’s experience, but if Seto was copying him, he would play along.

He set his queen right in the middle of the chessboard, smirking gleefully at his owner, seeing him frown.

His queen was stupidly right in the path of the black knight.  
Would Seto take his queen with the knight?  
Or mirror his move like he had been doing the entire game?

Seto took Yami’s queen.

 _Damn!_ Yami thought angrily, seeing his queen sitting on the other side of the chessboard, cursing himself for stupidly thinking that Seto would follow such a bad move.  
  
So, Seto wasn’t just mirroring him to mock him.  
Seto was mirroring him as a test.  
Fine.

Now that he had effectively crippled himself, it was a scramble to protect his king with everything he had.

Seto smirked, watching Yami struggle, admiring the fact that several times, Yami had managed to put him in check, but in the end, Yami lost spectacularly because he was one queen short, too early in the game.

“Again,” Yami said indignantly, holding his palm outstretched for his queen. He itched all over with a strange fire, thinking he hadn’t been challenged like this in a long time, and he felt alive. His mind was clearer than ever, and to his great disappointment, Seto shook his head, pointing at the car behind him. “You want that?”

“No,” Yami said angrily. He wasn’t stupid enough to waste his time playing anyone else if Seto was a grand champion! There was no fun in that.  
What was his owner thinking?  
That he wanted the car?  
What would they even do with it?  
The garage was full!  
And if he _did_ want _a_ car, Yami was sure Seto would just buy him one on request.  
And he didn’t want _that_ ugly car.

“No?” Seto asked incredulously, setting the pieces back on the board, feeling his heart race with a deep excitement he hadn’t felt in a long time.  
So, Yami _did_ want to play after all, and he didn’t care for the car!  
But if Yami did enter, he would win!  
There were very few people on the planet who could put him in check multiple times, and survive the next few moves…without a queen no less!

“You’d win the car…” Seto said slowly, wondering if Yami could understand him.

“Play again,” Yami said darkly, rapping his knuckles on the table, “I hate cars.”  
A lie, but he would say anything to get Seto to play again.

“What?” Seto blinked, taken aback by that statement. “Why?”

“I don’t care,” Yami replied angrily, “Play again!”

Seto nodded, unable to contain his excitement, rearranging the pieces carefully, thinking Yami could play black this time, just as the employee rushed toward their table with a sheet of paper, gasping, “Ah…handsome young man…! Dear foreigner, welcome to Japan! Friend of Seto Kaiba! Please enter!”

“No thank you,” Yami said readily, smiling at Seto as he saw that his owner had replaced all the pieces at a lightening quick pace. This was fun!  
He could do this all day!  
Seto was a good challenge, someone he could play and grow with along the way!

“Then…ah…um…” the man stammered, and Seto interrupted him, moving his white pawn across the board towards Yami’s black pieces, seeing Yami playfully mirror his move. “Spit it out.”  
Yami was being cute as fuck, copying his every move, which made it really hard to gauge Yami’s next moves because there was no point in a strategy...yet, until someone gave in.  
Fucking clever.  
Maybe when they got back to their room, he could get Yami to play…naked.

“P-Please, I have to ask you to leave,” the employee said miserably. “All the tables here are now reserved for the tournament. If---”

“We were just leaving anyway,” Seto replied viciously, leaving the board as is, taking mental snapshot of it before sliding off the chair and grabbing Yami by the arm. “Come on.”

Yami frowned, feeling resentment towards the employee as Seto led him out of the store. He had wanted to see how Seto would react to being copied! Things were just getting good!

“I want one,” Yami demanded nervously, wondering how to say “chess” in Japanese. He felt like he had wasted precious time in the last few months, because if he had known Seto was a grand champion sooner, he would’ve asked Seto to play with him more often!

“We have a shit ton of chess boards at home,” Seto said, wondering why he had just said “we” and not “I”.  
Was he already thinking about them in terms of a couple?  
How terrifying.  
  
“Shit ton,” Yami repeated, smiling a little, and Seto turned to grin boyishly at him, replying, “We’ll see how well you can play, while you’re naked.”

Yami bit his tongue so hard, his eyes watered, and he felt his cheeks burn.  
What? Had he understood that correctly? His owner was so dirty!

“Don’t be disgusting,” Yami retaliated cleverly. “We’re in public.”

“Oh shut up,” Seto said happily, his heart soaring as he realized Yami understood more Japanese than he let on. They were definitely having a proper conversation now, and it was exhilarating.

Yami grinned, and tried to calm his beating heart. Oh, this was wonderful!  
Seto was so fun to talk and argue with, even in short sentences!  
He had been right from the start!  
Seto spoke like the way he wrote, and it was easy to understand him!

“Here,” Seto said warmly, leading Yami into a men’s formal wear boutique, catching a glimpse Yami’s enthralled expression in one of the mirrors as they passed by a few elegantly dressed mannequins, and his heart leapt up into his throat, pounding excitedly.  
  
Playing chess with Yami was great, which meant that playing any other game with him, would be equally as challenging.  
  
Seto personally hated shopping, but going out with Yami was wonderful, which meant that even the most mundane experiences would be made interesting, because Yami was with him.  
  
Sex with Yami was also mind-blowingly amazing, and it was consistently so.  
  
Seto couldn’t help but feel like he had won some kind of lottery.  
  
He paused and stared at a slender mannequin, imagining Yami wearing that neatly pressed suit while attending several unbearable functions with him in the future, hanging on his arm, sipping wine with him, and laughing deeply in the way he usually did.  
  
Even though Yami was male, it was as though he had found a perfect life-partner!

Yami wasn’t annoying to have around the house, and they seemed to understand each other. It would only get better from here!  
  
Yami gave Seto’s hand a warm squeeze, seeing his owner spacing out while staring at a mannequin. 

What? Did Seto like that one?

Yami stared at the mannequin doubtfully. He had never worn such clothes like this, and if he had to be honest, they looked quite uncomfortable. But if Seto wanted him to wear this at a party with other rich people, he would do it…for Seto.

Two men appeared from around the display and bowed in unison. “Welcome Mr. Kaiba…and guest.”

Yami couldn’t help but feel surprise every time a stranger addressed his owner by name, and he told himself he would just have to get used to it.

“Please fit him accordingly,” Kaiba said, giving Yami a gentle push towards the two men, feeling Yami stand his ground, looking nervous. “And I want a record of his measurements. Please send me a digital copy.”

“Right this way,” The man on the left said, gesturing towards a woman who was standing behind a glass counter with numerous ties laid out before her, and she bowed, smiling politely. “I will accept your information here.”

Seto nodded and gave Yami another slight push, seeing him nod back anxiously.

 _Relax_ , Seto thought, disgruntled.  
Yami was in for a treat.  
Fitted clothes was a rare luxury to be had.

Yami tried to hide his nervousness as he followed the two men into a small area behind a thick curtain, where the walls were floor-to-ceiling mirrors.

The men asked him to step on a small platform in the middle of the room, and they got to work, one man holding a thick tape measure, looping it around his ankles while the other man asked him to lift his arms, sliding a thin tape measure across his shoulders.

Yami obeyed, feeling his heart racing nervously in his chest as one of the men asked him a casual question. “Are you a business friend of Seto Kaiba?”

Deciding it was better not to answer, Yami replied with, “I don’t understand Japanese,” seeing the men pause in their motions to briefly stare at him, before they shared a shocked look between themselves.

“Ah…s-sorry,” the man with the thin tape measure said, and he grabbed Yami’s wrist, lifting his arm so he could measure the length from his elbow to his armpit.

Yami resisted the urge to squirm, hearing the man by his feet speak up as the thick tape measure was looped around his knee.

“So, continuing our conversation, senpai, I can’t wait until we dock at Domino City. This trip was so pointless. Rich people irritate me.”

And the man with the thin measure hissed at his co-worker, throwing Yami an anxious look. “Be quiet! You don’t know how much Japanese this guy understands!”

“He just said he doesn’t understand! Look, he’s even looking at you now questioningly because of your tone!” The man at Yami’s feet protested. “That’s the first sentence all foreigners learn when they come here, right? ‘I don’t speak Japanese?’”

Both men stared at Yami for a long moment, and Yami blinked rapidly, saying the English he knew, “Hi, how are you?”

The man at his feet let out a soft laugh, and replied, “I’m good!”

“Alright, but don’t say it too loudly or his friend will hear,” The thin tape measure man said, glancing nervously at the closed satin curtain.

“I’m waiting for that good tip!” the thick tape measure man chuckled. “Hito-san owns an apartment near the…bars!”

 _What bars?_ Yami thought faintly, as his foot was lifted gently and set down again.

“I don’t know how he can live near such a place,” the thin tape measure man said gruffly, carefully snaking his hands around Yami’s neck and wrapping the tape measure gently around his throat.

“Hito-san, goes by Hitomi-chan now,” The thick tape measure man said amicably, wrapping the tape around Yami’s waist, tightening it slightly, and then loosening it again. “He changed genders! That’s why he lives there! It’s comfortable. I can’t wait to see how cute he got.”

“Don’t you mean she?” the thin tape measure man said tiredly, stepping back and raking his eyes over Yami’s slender frame, sighing. “How do we ask this foreigner to remove his clothes? Or do you think Seto Kaiba will be OK with over-the-clothes measurements…”

“ _You_ ask him, senpai. He’s terrifying…and younger than me,” The thick tape measure man said. “I don’t want to be implicated. Just make him give me my tip so I can go drinking with Hitomi.”

“Is that seriously all you’re thinking about?” The senpai man snapped, narrowing his eyes at his co-worker. “You just want to dock in Domino City and go …bar hopping. _You_ ask him. I’m older than you both, and talking with him will just make him irritated at our age difference.”

Yami bit back a bubble of laughter. These men were scared of Seto! Even thinking that an age difference would cost them a tip!  
Didn’t they know that his owner was generous and kind? Apparently not.

“Please senpai!” the thick tape measure man begged, putting his knees together on the floor and clasping his hands together in a prayer motion, holding them over his head comically. “This is my first high-profile client!”

“It’s his friend, not him!” the senpai man hissed, and the curtain swung back with a loud whoosh, and both men whirled around in horror to see Kaiba standing behind them, looking angry.

Seto surveyed the strange scene before him. A man about his age was groveling to his superior with his hands clasped politely together, his face twisted in shock, while his superior quickly bowed and apologized quickly. “Mr. Kaiba, we were just debating if you wanted an under-the-clothes measurement, and we weren’t sure how to convey it to your friend who does not speak Japanese.”

“Over-the-clothes is fine,” Seto growled, not caring. He would invite his personal tailor over when they got back to the mansion anyway, and have Yami re-fitted. This could be his “shitty suit”.

“How long?” Seto asked, checking the time on his phone. They had roughly two hours before the event. This was really pushing it.

“An hour…roughly,” The man on the floor said quietly, and Seto frowned. “I need an exact time, you fool.” And the man on the floor paled, glancing at his superior for help.

“One hour, exactly. We work fast, Mr. Kaiba. Would you like a printed slip of paper as our shop’s personal guarantee?”

“No,” Seto growled, gesturing for Yami to follow him. “Let’s go.”

Yami stepped off the small platform and raced to join Seto’s side, hurrying through the store as the employees followed them in a small group, bowing them out.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Yami smiled warmly up at Seto, seeing his owner ignore him, and he sighed, resigning himself to living with being ignored sometimes.

They passed another small shop, and Yami spotted an enormous stuffed bear in the window.

Its cheeks were blushed a soft pink and the fabric looked soft. There was even a large pink ribbon around its neck, and Yami yearned to hold it in his arms.  
Seto would buy this for him, right? He would like to have this on his bed, because the bed was so large….

Yami glanced behind him and realized that Seto had disappeared.

Nervous, Yami looked up and down the strip, wondering where Seto had gone, and fear seized him suddenly as he realized he had no way to get back into the room safely without a key. And the key was Seto’s phone. He didn’t know Seto’s number!

Wait, why had been abandoned here?  
Had Seto just continued walking and forgotten about him? Was he in a nearby shop?

Clenching his fists nervously, Yami decided that the smartest thing he could do was to stay put.

“Welcome,” A soft female voice spoke behind him, and he turned around, seeing a girl about his age, wearing a pressed uniformed top, with a pretty ribboned bow across her chest, paired with a matching pleated skirt and black knee-high socks.

Yami blinked and considered walking away, but he saw her turn to head into the shop, and decided it would be rude not to go in for a moment.

The shop smelled like daisies and freshly watered plants.  
Yami had to take a second to himself before registering what his eyes were looking at.

Everything in the shop was pink or white, with adorable stuffed animals overflowing several boxed shelves. Neat sets of paper and pens sat along the wall in the colors of the rainbow, along with cute, stuffed fruits, sitting between the sections as spacers.  
  
All the red pens had different floral designs, all the blue pens had animal prints.  
All the paper was also dyed, with what looked like watercolor, and some had gilded or patterned edges.

Yami stood awkwardly by the door, overwhelmed by it all. It was a small shop, but every inch was filled with a sparkling cuteness, it almost hurt to look at it for too long.

The girl stood quietly behind the counter, watching him politely, and Yami felt himself sweat, staring at the cute, brightly-colored cartoon flashing on the TV right above her head, seeing a girl with angel wings appear in a beam of light and glittering stars.  
What…was this?! Was this a store for girls?  
Girls who liked angels and heaven?  
  
He felt oddly out of place as he moved carefully between the aisles, staring at the puffy pom poms on the ends of thin pens.

He heard a faint scream echoing from the TV, and he glanced up at the screen again, horrified to see the angel-winged girl standing over another girl in a pool of her own blood, her face darkened with an evil shadow as she cackled, _“Your soul-eye is mine!”_

What the…?  
Yami felt his hair stand on end, and he found that he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen.

“Oh, you like Heart’s Eye too?!” The girl gasped, turning to look at the screen with sparkling eyes, and Yami watched as the angel-wing girl speared her nemesis through the chest with her elegant crown-shaped wand.

Yami blinked and debated for a moment before nodding his head.  
The angel girl had just killed a human girl with her magic wand.  
Sure, he liked it.  
Whatever it was, it was so odd.

“Are you buying for yourself, or a friend?” The girl asked, smiling happily at him. “Look, I have the pens, and letter openers of all the wands!”

Out of morbid curiosity, Yami moved towards the counter and watched as the girl pointed into the glass case beside her, and Yami saw several sparkly metal wands spinning on display in an acrylic holder.  
  
They were so shiny, his eyes hurt to look at them.  
Were they really letter openers?  
They looked exactly as they appeared in the show.  
Intricate and ornate on the top, with a sharp spear on the other end.  
Scary.

“Pretty…” Yami said faintly, feeling himself sway on the spot. He just wanted to touch the bear…but had somehow lost Seto, and was now looking at girly weapons from a bloody cartoon.

“I’ve seen you around, Yugi,” the girl continued. “You don’t have to be shy. I’ve seen the pins on your bag! You like Mao-shii, don’t you?! She’s the coolest! So I agree!”

Yami blinked rapidly, nodding politely, thinking she was mistakening him for someone else. He didn’t carry a bag…and didn’t have any pins, and had no idea who “Maoshi” was. It was time to leave.

He eyed the door, but the girl stopped him by grabbing his wrist, “Wait, Yugi! …Anzu really saved me during our exercise period! I would’ve been so embarrassed if it weren’t for her, but I don’t share any classes with her, and she’s on the third floor!”

Yami shook her off frantically, feeling himself growing more nervous by the second. This girl was really confusing him with someone else!  
Who was Anzu?!  
No, actually, who was Yugi?!  
What was “exercise period”!?

 _“How do you expect to survive on your own without your Seto? Blend in…!”_ Lina’s sour voice drifted through his head, and Yami forced himself to relax as he nodded, giving her a soft smile. There. Now would she leave him alone?

“Oh good, you remember me,” She said, sounding relieved, and she reached under the counter, pressing a tiny folded package in his hand. “Give this to her! It’s the only one she’s missing! Lolla-chan’s pin is the rarest, so this is no trouble at all! Please tell her Akagi-chan said thank you very much!”

Yami smiled warmly again and nodded, moving towards the exit, wondering how he could explain the pin to Seto, just as he heard the girl call after him. “I like the new gyaru-casual-style, Yugi! You look like a cool foreigner!”

 _Whatever…!!_ Yami thought frantically, giving her a small wave before hurrying out the front, and running nose-first into Seto’s chest.

“Where the hell were you?!” Seto hissed, grabbing Yami by the shoulders and shaking him slightly as relief washed over him. He glanced at the sparkly-pink shop and felt his insides curl, looking down to see Yami blinking up at him, opening his hand to show him a glittery pin sitting in his palm.

“I made a friend,” Yami lied, and Seto blinked incredulously. Seriously?! In the eight minutes they had lost each other, Yami was in this vomit-inducing shop, and had gotten a free item from the counter?  
And it was a limited item too!  
There were stars on the wrapper surrounding a bunch of gold text: _“limited edition pin”._

“Give it back,” Seto said viciously, grabbing the pin from Yami’s hand and marching into the store, turning a heel and walking right back out as he noticed the girl bent down behind the counter was wearing a Domino High School Uniform. Fuck.

Yami let out a shout of laughter, seeing his owner comically skid in his steps and do a 180 at the front of the shop, marching angrily back towards him, glaring.

“Okay, we’re leaving,” Seto hissed, pressing the pin back into Yami’s palm and grabbing him by the wrist, dragging him down the strip, still hearing Yami chuckling at him.

He felt his anger and irritation subside as he listened to Yami’s chuckles.

Seto had searched frantically, thinking Yami had walked into the jewelry store a few shops ahead, but he had been accosted by the saleswoman while peering into the store. She kept asking if he wanted an engagement ring, and several rows of rings were subsequently shoved under his nose before he shook her off and managed to leave.

Yami glanced down at his owner’s pale hand closed around his wrist and he suppressed another bubble of laughter. That was so cute.  
Seto had walked so confidently towards the pink shop before turning around like he had seen a ghost after looking inside. Hilarious.

Yami glanced to his left and saw another beautiful jewelry store, seeing the woman inside smiling enthusiastically and beckoning for him to walk in.  
It was a store for rings!

 _If he buys me a ring, and I wear it out of the store, there’s no way it’ll be chipped!_ Yami thought suddenly, and he dug his heels into the carpeted floors, pulling Seto to a grinding halt.

Seto tensed, cursing internally as he knew exactly where this was going.  
He had a pretty good idea of the stuff Yami liked by now.  
  
Chess, rough sex, food, alcohol, pink girly shit, more sex, make up, and jewelry. Probably not in that order.

“You’re wearing…bracelets,” Seto growled down at Yami, seeing him blink prettily up at him and wave back at the woman in the store. F-Fuck…this all to shit.

“I don’t have a ring!” Yami said happily pointing at his forefinger, smiling warmly. “Marry me!”

Seto blinked, wavering on the spot as his heart stopped beating in his chest, causing his mind to spin violently. What?!

 _It won’t be official, like a marriage between a man and a woman,_ Yami thought darkly, keeping the smile plastered on his face. But if he could get Seto to even promise to marry him, he wouldn’t go off and marry a girl…right?  
  
Lina was wrong about everything.  
Lina knew nothing.  
He knew how to keep his Seto.  
Lina was stupid for losing her owner to another woman.  
This was how you kept your first owner on a leash.

Seto tucked his tongue between his teeth and chewed it tightly, hating himself for the swooping feeling in his stomach and the strange tightening in his chest.  
This wasn’t happening.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Seto said in a rush, feeling Yami already pulling him into the store and bowing politely at the saleswoman, who rushed to shake Yami’s hand warmly.

“Ah…a boyfriend!” She exclaimed cattily, giving Kaiba a knowing look, and Kaiba chose to ignore her, looking right over her head, wishing the world would collapse on him and that everything would disappear.  
This was so fucking embarrassing!  
He had _just_ left this store saying he didn’t have a girlfriend.  
And here he was again, with Yami.  
Who was very clearly obviously male.

“Well come, come look, dear boyfriend,” the woman said, addressing Yami, who nodded way too enthusiastically at her words, and Seto felt his insides curl.

She slid out three, long rows of rings sitting in white velvet slots, and Yami felt his mouth water and his eyes sting.  
Pretty. All of it was pretty.  
But some of them were too girly.  
He needed something plain, and gold.  
Something he could pawn or sell instantly….

Yami stopped himself in his train of thought, thinking that he would never sell a ring Seto bought for him…especially if Seto would wear the same ring too.  
  
He wasn’t going to run.  
It didn’t matter if his bracelets were chipped.  
  
This was a permanent arrangement.  
  
He would stay with Seto for the rest of his life in the country of Japan!  
  
He had already decided that Lina was wrong.

“Can’t decide?” the woman said knowingly, nodding at Yami’s stunned expression which suddenly turned dark, and Seto noticed this too. He even felt Yami’s hand drop from his wrist, causing his skin to sting strangely.  
Yami was thinking about something…from his past.  
Every time his facial expressions changed suddenly, it was a good indicator to leave.

“If you can’t decide, we’ll come back later,” Seto said hastily, reaching down to grab Yami’s hand, seeing him suddenly snap out of it and straighten up to smile at him. “You pick, Seto.”

“Yes, yes, you pick,” the woman echoed playfully, and Seto felt his heart sinking into his stomach with anxiety. No fucking thanks.

He eyed the simplest golden band and pointed it at. That one.  
  
Seto watched as Yami turned to give him an exasperated look. No. No?

“Too plain,” the woman said cleverly, nodding at Yami, who was raking his gaze over the three trays, moving down along the counter to point at the one at the farthest end, and Seto hovered over his shoulder, staring at the one Yami had chosen.

It wasn’t too flashy, but it was encircled with stones. Nope. Pass.

“No stones,” Seto said, thinking Yami could wear some sparkly shit and get away with it, but if he wore it out himself, it would raise immediate questions.

Yami’s face fell, and Seto scanned the trays again, feeling his heart race in his chest, as he pointed at another ring, seeing Yami shake his head and point at another ring, motioning for him to lean down for a look.

What the fuck was this?! Were they actually ring-shopping now? How the hell had Yami managed to rope him into doing this?

Yami pointed at another, and Seto shook his head, finally spying one he figured they’d both be happy with. Yami stared at the ring Seto had chosen, enjoying the way the light shone off it’s smooth, silver edge. There was an odd space in the middle of the ring, and the woman snatched it up out of the tray, holding it out carefully, and Yami could see that the space went all the way around before finally connecting in a single delicate line midway through the ring.

“This is modern and fashionable choice, Master Kaiba,” the woman said cleverly. “It is classy no matter which way you wear it! There is an elegant distance between you and your lover, and the one common thing that keeps you together, love, is represented with this simple, yet strong line!”

 _Sappy shit_ , Seto thought mildly, but Yami was enthralled. He thought that description described their relationship perfectly!  
They did have a gap.  
There was a noticeable difference in their personalities, but with one, common, intense feeling.  
Love.  
It was perfect!

“I like it,” Yami said simply, grinning at Seto who was wearing his classic scowl which was slowly morphing into a grimace as the woman behind the counter nodded approvingly.

“I like it too!” she enunciated, “Size fitting! Hands please!”

Yami stuck his hand out eagerly, seeing Seto hesitate beside him, and he reached down to grab Seto’s wrist, placing his hand on the glass counter, giving him a stern look. “Be serious, Seto!”

Seto felt himself slipping and he let out a sarcastic laugh, hearing it echo around the shop, and he shut himself up instantly. Fuck.  
  
The woman returned with several of the same ring and slid Yami’s ring on with ease, smiling and nodding. Yami was amazed at how she had managed to guess his size just by looking!  
She took a while longer with Seto, going between half-sizes before finally deciding to go with a looser fit.

“Very good! Very nice!” She said robotically, “Now, may I lead you over to this counter here…”

And Seto followed her towards the register, feeling numb all over.  
What the fuck was happening?!  
Did he just agree to buy a matching set of rings with a guy that was delivered to his doorstop by an evil madwoman?  
And he was now paying for said matching rings, because he had willingly handed the woman his credit card while Yami hovered excitedly behind him, gazing down at his hand with a bright expression he had never seen before.

Okay, that expression was worth it.

He stared at the ring on Yami’s finger, feeling his own ring itch on his hand as he continued staring, noticing that Yami’s nails were chipped and ragged at the edges from natural wear and tear.  
  
This boy needed a manicure.

“Your card, Mr. Kaiba! Thank you very much!” The woman said excitedly, handing him his card back with both hands, and Yami caught a familiar face in the mirror behind the saleswoman’s shoulder.  
  
Delicate features, tanned skin, dark hair, bright green eyes. Lina.

He blinked, staring at her reflection, seeing her swinging on the arm of another man, smiling and laughing demurely while pointing at a glass case full of golden bracelets which looked similar to his.

 _Hypocrite,_ he thought darkly. _“Make your own money and buy those things yourself!” she said_ , Yami repeated spitefully in his head, flashing her a glare as their eyes met in the mirror, and she disappeared as she was led further into the store by another salesperson.

“Yami…”

Seto gave Yami’s shoulder a slight nudge, seeing another dark look pass across his face again before seeing Yami turn to smile warmly at him again. Was he okay?  
Was this reminding him of an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend?  
If so, why was he forcing himself to go ring-shopping?!

Yami followed Seto out of the store, bowing politely at the lady who ushered them out, and he hurried to fall into step beside his owner.

“Thank you, Seto.” Yami said quietly, meaning it from the bottom of his heart. He glanced down at the ring on his hand, hating how ugly his fingernails looked right above his new, shiny piece of jewelry, and he wondered if he could get Seto to teach him to make his nails shiny and perfect.  
  
Then his heart would leap and soar with happiness even more, as he would mindlessly spend hours gazing at this ring, thinking about how wrong Lina was, and how he had won.

Seto didn’t answer. He was fighting with himself, wondering what excuse he could give Yami so he could take off his ring. But Seto was having trouble finding fault with Yami as a partner.

Yami was somehow managing to get alarmingly close to him without even knowing it. Maybe it was fine to casually ring-shop with a fuck-buddy in whatever country he came from, but in this country, ring-shopping with a partner meant a promise of commitment.

Seto felt his phone buzz in his pocket and he slipped it out, realizing that the time had passed very quickly. Yami’s suit was ready to be picked up. He felt Yami’s hand tighten around his wrist again, as he was pulled to a full stop, and he cursed internally. Again?! What?

“In here…!” Yami said happily, forcefully dragging Seto into a brightly lit cosmetics shop.

For the past few months, he had been wondering where he could eye paint. Isono had walked in on him several times while he had been trying to practice lining his eyes, and he was bombarded with a series of touchy questions.

_“Did you buy that yourself while we were out getting groceries?”_

_“Do you like other kinds of make up?”_  
  
“It’s fine if you did buy it while I wasn’t looking, Yami, you’re not in trouble, but please know that groceries allowance is not meant to be spent on cosmetics!”

And he had subsequently been given a lesson on “responsible budgeting”, which he thought was stupid, because Seto had so much money anyway, why did it matter?

Seto grit his teeth, feeling his eyes water as he was pulled past multiple neat rows of shiny foreign objects. Well…since they were here, he might as well pick up some nail supplies so he could fix Yami’s nails before the dinner.

He felt Yami let go of his hand, and he watched Yami wander excitedly towards a display of eyeshadows. Seto turned around, seeing the saleswoman make a beeline for him and make eye-contact.  
Shit. Nope. Run.

Glancing frantically over the shelves, Seto spied the nail care section and hurried towards it, hearing the soft clicking of heels approaching him from behind.

“May I h-help you Mr. Kaiba?”

 _No_ , Seto thought darkly, ignoring her as he swept up a manicure set, thinking it was best of he didn’t speak at all.

Yami realized Seto had disappeared again, but he was fine with it. He knew Seto wouldn’t leave the store without him. He gazed at the tiny squares of color sitting in neat rows along the displays, wondering how much make up would help him.

He didn’t know which colors he wanted, there were too many to choose from! Some of the eye paints were in sets of matching shades, and there was an endless amount of combinations!

Yami heard soft voices echoing from the front counter and he glanced up, amazed as he watched the saleswoman hand Seto his purchase in a dark purple paper bag.  
  
Intrigued and excited, Yami forgot all about the eye shadows and hurried to catch up with Seto’s long strides out the door.

“What did you buy?” Yami asked curiously, watching Seto shake his head, leading them past the pink shop and the game store again.

They continued walking in silence and Yami stared longingly at the shiny watches in another store window they passed, and he caught his owner’s eye in the reflection of the glass.  
He looked away quickly, his cheeks heating up with embarrassment.

“You want one?” Seto asked blandly, hating himself for asking.  
Was he encouraging a bad habit?  
Maybe Yami expected this of him, because every woman he had ever dated expected this of him because he had money.  
Fuck. He hated this feeling.  
What if he didn’t have money?  
Maybe Yami was only sticking around for that reason alone, and the thought made his stomach curl.

Yami shook his head, his cheeks burning, feeling a slight resentment towards Seto for asking if he wanted every single thing he laid his eyes on.  
Maybe it was because his owner was accustomed to it, because money was no object, but it made him feel even more like a pet.  
Do you want this collar?  
Would you like a matching leash with real diamonds?  
Would you like to add this expensive bell?  
It’s only a million yen more.

Seto grit his teeth, wondering if Yami was lying. Trying to ignore the frantic beating of his own heart, he let Yami hang around by the front of the formal wear shop as he went inside and headed straight for the counter, seeing the woman bow respectfully at him.

Yami shuffled his feet nervously, staring at the pink store a few strides away, thinking he should stop worrying about how Seto insisted on buying him gifts. He wished it wouldn’t bother him so much.

“Slut,” said a sour voice behind him, and Yami whirled around, furious to see that it was Lina. She was alone, thankfully, and three thick bags hung from her arms with the foreign brands printed across the fronts boldly with golden font.

“Speak for yourself,” Yami hissed, thankful that he was fluent enough in Japanese so he could throw insults right back at her if she started anything.

“I spread for money,” Lina said haughtily, raking her eyes up and down his body, pausing to stare intently at his neck. “And from what I can see, now that we are speaking in a well-lit area…you let your owner mark you in a visible spot. Are you really an idiot or does he like it that way?”

Yami blinked, his heart thudding loudly in his chest as his ears rung painfully in his ears. What? Mark him?

“Right here,” Lina said gleefully, shifting her bags to her other arm so she could point to a spot behind her ear on her neck. “How much do you charge him for marking you? Clothes? Cash? Rings?”

Yami felt his breathing grow shallow as he turned his head in the reflection of the store window, catching a dark, purple mark behind his ear on his neck, feeling his stomach churn with nausea.  
These were the marks he had seen on the nameless boy’s neck and chest.  
When had Seto marked his neck?!  
He didn’t even feel it!  
He didn’t even know!

“Wow,” Lina said mockingly, giving the man passing them by a flirty smile before turning back to speak with Yami. “Your face is pale like you’ve seen a ghost. You didn’t even know he did it! Which tells me he’s not paying you for it. Tell me, idiot, what would you do if your owner didn’t have money?”

“What would I do?” Yami repeated stupidly, his blood boiling with rage as he could barely think straight. If she insulted him one more damn time….

“Yes, what would you do if he couldn’t buy you these fancy clothes, or rings? Would you still spread your legs for him then?” Lina asked, sounding strangely earnest. “You have to ask yourself these questions, otherwise what are you spreading for? Love?”  
  
She let out a cackling laugh which echoed up and down the empty strip, and Yami felt his rage spill over.

“I do love him, and his money isn’t something I’m after!” Yami hissed, curling his fists at his sides to prevent himself from strangling her. “One of the first things he bought for me was a book. Ever seen one, idiot?”

Lina choked on her laughter and she stared at him with her eyes so wide, Yami could see the whites around her pupils. Aha…jackpot.  
Judging by her preference of her fancy bags and jewelry from her owner’s clients, Lina had probably never touched a book before in her life.

“What?” She whispered, sounding incredulous, blinking rapidly as she turned very pale.

“Yes,” Yami said gleefully, pleased to have shocked her. “You don’t need a million yen to buy books, and that has been the best gift he’s given me…to this day, which means he cares about knowledge, rather than material things! Your expensive things won’t love you back, and you’re foolish for putting your faith in such meaningless shit.”

“R-Right…” Lina whispered, white a sheet, clutching her shopping bags so tightly with both hands, her knuckles were white.  
  
Yami smirked, feeling a wave of vicious satisfaction. Was she jealous? Good!

“And to answer your earlier question,” Yami barreled forwards ruthlessly, aiming to hurt her with his words. “I could care less about what amount of money he has. You’re stupid enough to think that money matters, so who is the idiot now?”

Lina blinked at him, her bottom lip trembling, her eyes wide with fear as she whispered in broken Arabic. “ _You…are stupid…and look around...”_

Yami folded his arms firmly across his chest and glanced up and down the empty strip, seeing nobody. He heard a soft rustle behind him, and he turned around cautiously, seeing Seto looming over him with a dark look on his face.

Cold fear gripped Yami’s entire body as he wondered how long Seto had been standing there and how much of that conversation he had heard.

“Well, I’m leaving,” Lina said shortly, and Yami grit his teeth furiously, seeing her smirk at him. “Don’t forget our agreement. You owe me.”

What agreement?  
Oh.  
The knife.

“I didn’t agree to it, and I fucking hate you,” Yami shot back, not caring if Seto knew he could speak fluently now. He had already been caught, so it didn’t matter.

“I hate you too!” She sang, trotting off on her heels down the carpeted hallway, and Yami felt his eyes burn with hatred as he watched her go.

Seto could barely contain his disbelief as he watched the girl walk away, and he stared down at the spiky mass of red and black hair below him. He forced himself to calm down, his stomach flipping with excitement at what he had just heard.

_“One of the first things he bought for me was a book… You don’t need a million yen to buy books, and that has been the best gift he’s given me… He cares about knowledge…. Your expensive things won’t love you back…!”_

And Seto felt like he finally understood…everything.  
  
Yami had first wanted to buy the bracelets, because he wanted them to wear a matching pair like a fucking couple.  
What a weird-ass foreigner.  
  
Well, Yami had won, because now they were wearing matching rings, which had proved that Yami’s interest was purely in him.  
  
When asked about wanting the car on display, Yami had refused and shown adamant interest in chess.  
  
When asked about wanting a watch, Yami had once again refused.  
Yami valued his books…his knowledge! And the fact that he could speak and curse fluently turned Seto on so fucking much.

Unable to contain his excitement, Seto threw Yami’s suit over his shoulder and brushed past him, heading straight for the elevators. His only thought was to get Yami back into the room, to get him naked and into the suit…and then he would get Yami naked again by ripping the suit off.

Yami swallowed thickly, feeling his dread rising as he quickly followed Seto into the elevator. Was he in trouble? Maybe he ought to apologize just in case.

“I’m sorry,” Yami said quietly, seeing Seto blink incredulously at him before grinning at him so widely, Yami’s heart skipped a beat. It looked like he wasn’t in trouble.  
Seto had found that exchange amusing…apparently?

“What are you sorry for?” Seto asked blithely, seeing the elevator stop on their floor, and he stepped out, feeling his boner itch in his pants. Was Yami worried about his behavior towards the girl, Lina?

“I hate her too,” Seto said bluntly, reaching for his phone to unlock their door. “Don’t apologize for insulting her.”

Yami nodded mutely, staring at Seto’s slender fingers hooked around the hanger of the slick black suit thrown over his shoulder as they stepped into the room. The door swung shut behind them and Yami watched nervously as Seto slung the suit over the back of the couch and pointed at the large table in the middle of the room.

“Sit.”

Yami walked to sit on the floor beside Seto, and was given a firm nudge. “No, on other side.”

Frowning, Yami stood and circled the table, sinking down onto his knees across from Seto, watching him neatly set out a series of small bottles and metal tools. He saw Seto stand and return with a few towels from the bathroom.

The dry towel was set underneath his hands, while the wet one was draped over the top of his hands.

“Just let it sit like that for a bit,” Seto said slowly, trying to ignore his aching and throbbing boner. Mind over body. Willpower.

Yami nodded silently, glancing down through the glass table at their knees. They were sitting so far apart. He untucked his legs and stretched them out warmly, beginning to relax as the steam from the towel on his hands felt nice.  
  
Seto was pampering him again…and he couldn’t be happier.  
He kicked his shoes off to relax.

The towel was lifted away and Seto gently grabbed one of Yami’s hands, rubbing each finger with the wet towel before setting it aside and grabbing the cuticle oil.

He could feel himself burning up as Yami’s eyes never left his face, and his entire body itched.

“Hand,” Seto said quietly, seeing Yami slowly give him his hand, his palm outstretched, and Seto held it gently, turning it over so he could see Yami’s nails, carefully uncapping the oil and dabbing the brush over the tips of Yami’s fingers.

Yami blinked curiously, seeing his owner coat his fingers in oil and reach for the metal clippers, diligently sizing his nails down to even lengths. The metal clippers were set aside, and a new tool was grazing his atop his nails.  
  
This one looked scary, with a pointed tip, but Seto used it with ease, clipping away dead skin surrounding the nail, with his head dipped down in concentration.

 _Ah…such detail!_ Yami thought appreciatively, feeling himself smile.

He glanced past his own fingers and straight down through the glass, finding himself staring at a large bulge sitting in Seto’s pants.

The outline of his penis was sitting tightly against the zipper of his dark trousers and Yami felt his head rush with excitement.  
This hand-touching was making Seto hard.  
His owner really liked him that much!  
With his heart racing happily, Yami felt Seto’s hands rub his fingers gently again, and he grew dizzy with arousal.

He shifted his legs, stretching his feet out under the table, giving Seto’s knee a firm nudge with his toe. Did Seto want to see his feet too? This was fun.

Seto grit his teeth, feeling his vision blur as he reached for the clear bottle of nail polish, knowing that Yami had spotted his boner through the table. He forced himself to remain calm as he uncapped the bottle and began coating each nail with clear varnish.

“Don’t move,” Seto hissed, feeling Yami’s foot creep up his thigh, and Yami blinked innocently at him, wiggling his fingers playfully in his grasp.

“I’m not…” Yami lied badly, grinning triumphantly as the pad of his foot found Seto’s hardness, and he slowly rolled his entire foot down on it, feeling Seto tense, watching him duck his head down lower over his hands, the tips of his ears bright red.  
Ah…such a delightful reaction!  
Was Seto acting shy?  
Hilarious.

Seto bit his tongue, his eyes watering with effort as he tried to ignore Yami’s foot moving sensually up and down along his dick through his pants, and he felt Yami step down hard against his crotch once more, pressing the zipper painfully into him.

“That hurts…” Seto hissed, thankful he had finished one hand and he reached for the other, wondering if he ought to be irritated that Yami wasn’t paying attention. His dark violet gaze was fixed on the table through the glass, moving his other foot to rest playfully on his thigh.

“Then take it out…” Yami breathed, unable to contain his own excitement.

There was a foul-smelling liquid drying on his fingernails, but he couldn’t care less. Seto liked his hands and feet…he would touch Seto’s dick…with his hands and feet.

Seto felt the room dip beneath him as he automatically complied, feeling his hands set the bottle of nail varnish down to undo his own pants with shaking fingers. He left the fly of this pants open and Seto saw Yami shake his head.

“All the way out,” Yami insisted devilishly, giving the back of Seto’s hand a firm nudge with his toe, his heart pounding thickly in his ears.

 _Fine_ , Seto thought begrudgingly, inching his pants down along his waist, seeing Yami nod eagerly at his hands resenting gently on his boner. Yes…yes.  
Swallowing his nervousness, Seto reached down into his underwear and freed his erection, seeing Yami’s face split into a devilish grin.

Forcing himself to look away, Seto grabbed the hand he was working on and hastily uncapped the nail polish again, his hands trembling as Yami’s cool feet padded clumsily against his exposed dick.

Yami grit his teeth, struggling terribly. He pressed both of his heels together and tried to give Seto’s length a firm rub, but it was difficult because the low table was keeping his knees from bending upwards, and Seto had captured his hands.

“I can’t move,” Yami said lamely, feeling his own erection leak and throb in his pants. This was a bad idea after all. It wasn’t what he had imagined. He had thought he could move his feet up and down along Seto’s length, but he couldn’t do anything other than give Seto’s dick a firm squeeze.

“Good, don’t move,” Seto responded viciously, capping the varnish shakily, staring down at Yami’s hands and at the ring on his finger. Pretty.  
  
Seto blinked, his ears ringing as Yami spoke again, demanding him to move.  
If Yami was serious about their relationship…then “newlywed sex” would surely mean….

“Did you hear me?” Yami demanded, withdrawing his feet away from Seto’s groin. His owner wasn’t listening. He was spacing out, looking at his hands. Seto liked his hands that much?

“What?” Seto said hollowly, his eyes never leaving Yami’s nails.

Yami wiggled his fingers angrily and repeated himself. “I said I want you to enter me.”

Seto let his breath out in a slow hiss as he glanced down at himself, thinking of course…he would! But…not right now! They had to be downstairs for the shitty dinner in less than an hour.

Yami frowned, seeing Seto stare at his boner, and his anger rose quickly. Did Seto want to be taken care of first? Fine!

He rose to his feet, watching Seto reach out to grab his hands and miss.

 _Too slow,_ Yami thought gleefully, circling the table and standing threateningly over his owner, seeing him slowly lift his head up, his clear blue eyes dark with lust.

“Yami…sit still and wait for your nails to fucking dry,” Seto hissed through clenched teeth, and Yami ignored him, giving his thigh a rough nudge with his foot. Move.

Yami stared at Seto’s blatant erection sitting shamelessly upright, and he felt his eyes and mouth water simultaneously. He wanted to taste…smell, lick…so could Seto just move back a little bit away from the table?

“Speak! I know you can understand me!” Seto demanded miserably, seeing Yami gaze down at him with an irritated expression.

“Move yourself. I’ll sit there and wait for it to dry,” Yami said carelessly, pointing at Seto’s dick. “Move.”

Seto blinked, feeling as if everything was growing very far away. What?

He felt Yami’s foot nudge him again, and he complied, slowly inching back away from the table and letting Yami step over him, watching him sit warmly on his lap, facing him while comfortably straddling his legs.

Seto held his breath, enjoying the way the fabric from Yami’s pants rubbed firmly against his wet dick, and he tensed happily, feeling his mouth go dry as Yami leaned in closer.

Yami smiled, pressing his forehead tightly up against Seto’s forehead, draping his arms lazily over Seto’s shoulders, seeing Seto’s eyes widen. He drummed his fingers playfully against Seto’s back. “They’re drying now. How long?”

Seto saw Yami’s lips move inches from his nose and the last of his self-control slipped. He leaned forward to kiss Yami deeply, flitting his tongue in and out past his silky lips, feeling his head spin as Yami’s arms tightened around him and pulled him closer. He tasted heavenly. Delicious, and wonderful, and Seto felt himself slipping further as he reached up to cup Yami’s face, feeling blonde bangs falling softly over his knuckles as Yami teasingly nibbled his lower lip. Oh fuck…no….  
  
Yami let out a sharp gasp as Seto pulled away and tried to shove him off.

“Get dressed. We have to go,” Seto said thickly, his tongue swelling with need as he watched Yami frown desperately at him and lick his lips wetly.

“Stop that.” He hissed, glaring at Yami, feeling his dick leak wetly and he suppressed a shiver.

“I don’t want to go!” Yami insisted, his stomach twisting with dread as he recalled Lina’s request for a knife. He would get Seto to stay up here for as long as possible! They could go all night like they did last time!  
He would bargain with his virgin hole.  
  
Lina was a stupid woman who didn’t know what she was talking about.  
If Seto tasted his hole…he would never leave the room.

“Too bad,” Seto snapped, rising to his feet and buttoning himself up forcefully, wincing in pain as his dick strained against his zipper. “I don’t want to go either, but I have to. Get dressed. I won’t ask you again.”

He slid Yami’s suit out from the plastic and laid out each piece, seeing Yami stare at it blankly before standing and hurriedly stripping off his clothes, facing him boldly with his erection jutting visibly out from his body.

“I’ll wear it…after…” Yami said cleverly, pointing down at himself, and Seto hissed in annoyance, “Pick your underwear up from the fucking floor. Put it on.”

“I’ll get it dirty,” Yami shot back, feeling frantic now. Seto looked genuinely angry. Maybe he was pushing it too far.

* * *

**Author’s note:**

AAAA I’m sorry I had to cut it off here otherwise the chapter was gonna be like 12k words! I already wrote out the whole sex scene but it surpassed the chapter word-limit greatly, and that’s a huge strain, editing-wise.

Thank you for being patient for waiting until next week to see what will happen next!

Hugs and kisses,  
UGLI


	23. Can you tame me?

There was a long silence where they stood and stared at each other angrily for a moment before Yami finally gave in.  
Fine. He would get dressed…slowly.  
It would buy him time.

Seto nodded, watching Yami slide his underwear back on and reach for the slacks, feeling his heart ache in his chest as he watched Yami slowly button his pants over his erection. Damn…it…Yami was doing this on purpose.  
He was teasing him, by slowly getting dressed…  
Yami was doing this on fucking purpose!

“Hurry up,” Seto snapped, wondering if he should step into the bathroom to take care of himself before they went downstairs. He couldn’t function like this.

“I’m hurrying,” Yami said leisurely, shrugging on the dark grey dress shirt and slowly buttoning the front, flashing Seto a mischievous grin as he pulled the edge of his shirt aside, flashing him his nipple. “Do you like looking at me here?”

Seto blinked, feeling his heart stop in his chest. Yes.

Yami saw Seto’s fingers twitch at his side, and he smirked, undoing the button he had just done, pulling the shirt aside to expose his other nipple, knowing that Seto liked staring at his chest very much.

“What about here?” Yami said evilly, reaching down to slowly unbutton the top of his pants, leaving his zipper on.  
He would make himself look like he wanted to be dirtied…badly.  
He wanted to be dirtied.  
Very badly.

“Stop…it, Stop.” Seto hissed, feeling the room dip and swim in his vision as his knees grew weak. Fuck. Fuck. His dick twitched excitedly in his pants. Damn. Fuck.  
  
Now that Yami was speaking to him fluently, it was somehow worse.  
Because it meant Yami knew what he was doing.  
It meant consent.  
And Yami had always known what he was doing, and Seto was always stupidly dragged along for the ride.

“Whatever happened to _‘I want to remain clean’_?” Seto asked numbly, feeling his entire body yearn to be touched. The longer Yami stood there half-undressed, the less self-control he had.

Seto watched as Yami let out a deep laugh, the sound reverberating deep inside his chest, causing his heart to skip a few beats.  
Yami’s laugh…was beautiful.  
Shit, was there any part of Yami that wasn’t beautiful?

“You still care about that?” Yami asked, unable to hide his shock and disbelief.  
  
Seto was a man of honor indeed! Keeping that promise until what end?!

“You said it yourself,” Seto retaliated, pointing a shaking finger at the clothes remaining on the couch. “Get dressed.”

“Well I take it back,” Yami said, exasperated. “It’s my turn now! I kept watching you enjoy yourself and I was getting angry! Do it to me!”

Was Seto really that stupid? Or…was it because Seto didn’t actually want his hole?

It took all of Seto’s resolve to shake his head, and he pointed silently at the pile of clothes on the couch. “Yami, I fucking swear---”

“You’re the worst,” Yami interrupted, thinking he would make Seto so angry, Seto would mindlessly take him, and once they started, they would never stop until the sun rose.  
It would feel good no matter what!  
Yami had his mind set on it.  
Before they got off this ship, he would make Seto dirty his hole.

“I’m…what?” Seto breathed, running his tongue along the inside of his teeth, fully knowing that Yami was baiting him, and the fact that he was reacting to it meant that he was losing badly.

“You are the worst.” Yami repeated plainly, recalling a personal story Miss Ao had shared with him before she left. Her boyfriend had mildly insulted her in public, and she had broken up with him on the spot. Their conversation went something along the lines of ‘you are the worst’.  
Surely Seto would react to this.

Seto felt his vision turn green for a moment as a series of angry faces belonging to several ex-girlfriends flashed through his consciousness.  
  
_“You’re the worst!”_  
And a slap.  
  
_“You are the worst.”_  
Or a door would slam. 

 _“You are the worst!”_  
And there would be outward sobbing, followed by dirty looks from strangers.

 _“You’re the worst!”_  
And a handbag filled with all the expensive gifts he had ever bought her would be thrown back in his face.

And now…Yami was saying this to him.  
It was a shitty pattern.  
  
How did things always come to this?  
Was it something about him that made his partners say this so frequently?  
It was too real not to be a problem, and if it meant Yami was going to be the next person to walk out on him, Seto wasn’t going to risk it.

Yami was rambling, knowing that Seto was outwardly ignoring him, so he continued to talk. “…or you’re stupid. I’m standing here, offering myself, and you don’t care—”

Seto rushed at Yami and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist, stumbling slightly as Yami’s ass hit the top of the glass table and the tiny bottles went rolling off the side as Seto pushed Yami down with one hand, lifting his ankle high above his head with the other, hearing Yami let out a frantic yell.

“Don’t you dare say that,” Seto breathed, giving Yami a rough bite on his chin, feeling Yami respond enthusiastically by shoving his hands through his hair to pull his face closer, bringing their lips together in a rough, needy kiss.

 _Say what?_ Yami thought blurrily, feeling Seto’s tongue slipping erotically over his own before his mind went blank as Seto’s hand kneaded his balls heatedly.

Seto dragged open mouthed kisses down Yami’s neck, hearing Yami cry out excitedly and buck his hips forward against him, bumping their clothed erections together with a firm grind. He slid his hand through the opening at the front of Yami’s shirt, enjoying the way the fabric bunched around Yami’s slender shoulders, and his stomach twisted deeply with arousal. Damn…sexy.

“I want it…I want it,” Yami panted clumsily, feeling Seto kiss him deeply again as cold hands fumbled at his zipper, and he pulled away to glance down at himself, seeing a pale hand palm his erection gently…too gently. Yami rocked his hips upwards into Seto’s touch, feeling as if he was about to explode.

“You want it…” Seto said happily, pressing a long finger along the curves of Yami’s ass, feeling Yami squirm as he dug his finger through the fabric, managing to brush up against something soft. “…Which means, I put it in here.”

“Yes, are you stupid?” Yami glared, fully fed up with being treated like an inexperienced precious object. Seto could do it roughly until he bled, and it would feel good.

Seto smirked triumphantly, giving Yami’s asshole another firm rub through his slacks. “Then…you have to earn it.”

Yami froze, blinking with disbelief. What?! He had to _earn_ being dirtied?!

His mind churned with uneasy questions as Seto inched his pants down and thudded his dick heavily across Yami’s thigh, and Yami glanced down at it lustfully, quickly inching his own pants off down to his knees.  
Either Seto was teasing or punishing him.  
Why was it so hard to get Seto to put it in?!

He watched as Seto rubbed himself on his leg, and he shut his eyes, imagining his owner thrusting into him from behind. It would be wonderful.

“I-In my mouth then…” Yami suggested eagerly, and to his intense frustration, he watched Seto shake his head, his pale hands reaching into his pants to grab his erection, giving it a slow rub. Yami shivered, feeling desperate as he was quickly running out of things to bargain.

“You have to earn it,” Seto repeated breathlessly, palming both of their heads in his hand, leaning down to spit on Yami’s dick, hearing Yami gasp sharply above him.

Yami shuddered violently and clung tightly onto Seto’s shoulders, unable to believe his ears. What the hell did that mean? What did he have to do to earn being dirtied?!

Seto grinned and gave both of their dicks a firm rub, suppressing a ripple of happiness as he imagined fucking Yami the second they got back from the dinner.

Yami let Seto lean heavily down onto him as a hand wrapped tightly around his dick, and he glanced down to see both of their tips rubbing nicely together in Seto’s hand.

Biting back another cry as a pleasurable shiver ran up and down his body, Yami rocked himself forwards angrily, sliding across the glass table, clenching and unclenching his hole, feeling terribly empty.  
He wanted to be filled. This was unfair!

“Inside. Put it inside me!” Yami demanded, raising his voice and hearing it echo around the spacious room. Seto bent down and captured his lips, silencing him effectively as his hand pumped their cocks together in a steady rhythm, his hand moving to encircle their tips before coming heavily back down towards their base, feeling Yami jerk and twist erotically underneath his touch.

He looked like he was about to cum, so Seto slowed his hand down and released them both, hearing Yami’s shuddering gasp ringing in his ears as he knelt quickly, pushing Yami’s thighs apart as he shoved his head between his legs forcefully, taking Yami’s hardness in his mouth right up to the back of his throat, feeling Yami’s hands tightening wonderfully in his hair as Yami thrust upwards twice before a thick, sweet liquid spilled down his throat. Heaven.

Seto shut his eyes and let out a content sigh, giving Yami a firm suck, slowly easing his head up along Yami’s length before ramming himself downwards again, swirling his tongue delightfully along the base of Yami’s shaft, fully enjoying the way Yami’s legs twitched and trembled beside his ears.

Yami opened his mouth to cry out, but his throat closed up as his body spasmed with pleasure and ecstasy, Seto’s tongue moving fluidly over his length, skillfully alternating between hard sucking and soft tonguing in his leaking slit. H-How was he supposed to earn being entered? Was this how?

Seto leaned away, feeling Yami fall forward weakly. He eased Yami back into a sitting position atop the glass table, nudging his erection against Yami’s cheek, seeing Yami’s eyelashes flutter as his head turned obediently, and his lips parted to suck him.

Yami shut his eyes, gripping tightly onto the sides of Seto’s belt as Seto thrust heavily into his mouth, roughly, three times, before tensing, and Yami braced himself, his mind spinning as Seto’s musk engulfed him fully when a rush of fluids caught in the back of his throat, and Yami swallowed it all, feeling his eyes sting from the bitterness, and he realized that this was how Seto tasted.  
It was bitter, but sweet when it went all the way down his throat.

“Swallow it all,” Yami heard Seto say breathlessly, and a hand rested lightly at the back of his head. Yami nodded, copying what Seto had done earlier, bobbing his head easily along his dick, licking up the residual semen that had gathered beneath his lips.  
  
This was how you did it without ruining expensive clothes. You swallowed it all.

Yami tightened his lips and sucked powerfully, thinking he would not stop until Seto entered him. He would keep Seto’s dick in his mouth until Seto wanted to put it in.

“No…stop that…” Seto said, raising his voice in warning, his stomach twisting with a fluttering feeling as he watched Yami continue to suck him in earnest, and a hot tongue curled around the head of his penis before thudding insistently along the underside of his dick.

“Yami…stop, I already came…we have to go…. Yami!” Seto hissed, feeling his knees buckle as Yami’s hands wrapped around his waist and locked around his butt, keeping him firmly in place.

 _No, enter me first_ , Yami thought stubbornly, baring his teeth and taking Seto into his mouth as far as he could go, feeling the tip hit the back of his throat erotically, and he let out a low laugh, feeling Seto’s thighs tense and tremble in his grip.  
Good…they weren’t going anywhere.  
He held his breath and leaned his head back slowly before shoving himself forward again, keeping his teeth bared, making sure they would scrape almost painfully along head of Seto’s penis.

“F-Fuck…” Seto mumbled, feeling his head spin, and his heart leapt up into his throat as violent ripples of pleasure rose up from his core and blinded him temporarily. He spasmed, feeling Yami’s arms tighten further still around his waist, and he let out a gasp as another rough orgasm wrenched its way out of his body, causing him to shiver, feeling hot and cold at the same time, and yet, Yami showed no signs of stopping, even tilting his head left and right, pressing the tip of his dick into the soft pocket of his cheek, gazing up at him with dark, angular eyes, as if asking, “Is this how?”

Oh fuck. He had just signed his death wish.

Using the last of his strength, Seto grabbed a fistful of Yami’s spiky hair and jerked his head away from his dick, seeing a small stream of saliva pulling away from his pink lips, and Seto lost his resolve again, leaning down to kiss Yami warmly, tasting his own semen on Yami’s breath.

Yami’s arms tightened around his neck, pulling him in, and Seto cursed himself, attempting to jerk away, feeling one of Yami’s hands slide sensually down his front to grab his sensitive, wet dick again. Fuck! No!

“Stop…. stop,” Seto said miserably, thinking he was being the biggest asshole ever as Yami threw him a look of utmost hurt and despair. “I’ll do it. I want to…really.”

“Then do it,” Yami growled, reaching down to touch himself again, but Seto’s hand wrapped firmly around his wrist, stopping his hand.

“If I do, I won’t stop,” Seto replied seriously, hearing his heart pound loudly in his ears. “And we’ll do it for days on end. You want that?”

“Yes!” Yami replied furiously, and he felt like hitting something. That was exactly what he wanted. Why was Seto so damn stupid sometimes?!

“Okay…okay then…” Seto said frantically, and he cupped Yami’s face in his hands, sensing an oncoming tantrum. “You want to know how you earn it? Just behave. At the dinner. Behave, and I’ll do it to you as many times as you want.”

This was a quick fix.

The second the dinner ended, they would fuck like there was no tomorrow. If they didn’t make it back into the room, hell, they would fuck in the hallway.  
   
He would dangle sex in front of Yami to get him to cooperate at the dinner.

“You’ll keep going even when I say stop?” Yami challenged viciously, curling his hands into fists. “You’ll do it until I can’t think?”

“I’ll do it until you can’t remember you own damn name,” Seto promised darkly, leaning down to press his lips tightly across the bridge of Yami’s nose. “Now get dressed. If I ask you again, I’ll make you wait another day.”

Yami narrowed his eyes, cursing Seto his in head.  
Damn. And he knew Seto _would_ hold out for another day, because back at the mansion, Seto had shown that he was very good at holding out…for months on end. What a disgustingly clever man.

“I hate you,” Yami said venomously, and he saw Seto throw him a handsome smirk and reply with, “I hate you too.”

He watched Seto move to the mirror to adjust his tie, and Yami stood to button his pants begrudgingly. He swiftly fixed his shirt and slipped on the blazer, staring helplessly at the black tie draped over the arm of the couch.  
  
He didn’t know how to tie the damn knot. He only knew how to undo it.

“Give it to me,” Seto commanded, reaching for the tie. It was cute how Yami was staring at it as if it would tie itself.

Yami pressed the tie into Seto’s outstretched hand.

He watched as Seto looped it around his head, the tie catching on the ends of his spiky hair before coming to a rest around his neck, and soft knuckles grazed underneath his chin.

Seto’s fingers worked deftly, methodically doing a neat knot, and Yami felt his heart begin to pound in his chest as he stared up into Seto’s handsome face, which was frowned in concentration.  
  
He loved the way Seto’s light brown hair fell over his brow, stopping just above his eyes, framing his face nicely, with his sharp, blue eyes, cold and piercing as ever.

Yami felt his cheeks burn as Seto’s hands fell away from his neck, and he was gently led over to the mirror. He stifled a gasp, unable to recognize himself in the reflection as he stared at his own slender silhouette.

His shoulders were sharp, and his legs were toned. The tie was sitting elegantly between his stiff collared shirt, and Yami couldn’t help but feel like he could get used to this.

He looked like an elite; someone who could walk proudly beside Seto!

Was this who Seto wanted?  Because this was an impressive image! Two men, standing side by side, wearing elegant, clean-cut, modern clothing with matching black ties and coats, the only difference being, Seto’s shirt was dark blue.  
  
The person in the mirror with spiky hair was completely unrecognizable, and Yami felt a rush of gratitude towards Seto.  
  
He would’ve never thought that he could come this far and be treated this kindly.  
It felt like just yesterday when he had been carefully stepping over sludge in the alleyway after a rain.

“I think...I love you,” Yami choked, pressing his fingers to his tie knot, unable to tear his eyes away from his own fingers, which looked pressed and polished. His ring dazzled on his finger, and Yami felt his head spin. This was surely a dream.

“You sure you don’t love yourself more? Or your books?” Seto asked dryly, smirking as he watched Yami gape at his own reflection.

Yami drew in a sharp breath, tensing with anxiety as he realized Seto had definitely heard his entire conversation with Lina, so he retaliated quickly. “No, you’re right. I like my books, and your money the most. I don’t like you at all.”

Seto snickered, and he realized he had forgotten something.

“Shit,” he cursed, walking towards the plastic left hanging over the edge of the couch.  
  
Yami watched as Seto re-appeared with a new pair of shoes, and he couldn’t hide his amazement.

Seto set them down by Yami’s feet and knelt easily, grabbing his ankle. “Lift.” And Yami lifted his foot obediently, unable to stop staring at the odd image in the reflection.

A finely dressed prince with olive skin had a handsome manservant, bending at his feet, tying his laces.

Seto finished with one shoe and circled Yami steadily, kneeling again and grabbing his other ankle, pleased to see him lift his foot again so he could slide the shoe on with ease.

“Good servant,” Yami commented, and Seto bit his tongue so hard his eyes watered. He felt a bubble of laughter welling up inside him and he swallowed it, tightening his grip around Yami’s ankle. “Shut up.”

“While you are down there,” Yami continued gleefully, watching Seto’s fingers in the reflection, skillfully tying his laces, “Dirty me.”

Seto tightened the knot with unnecessary force as he replied sarcastically, “I respectfully decline, your fucking majesty.” And he stood swiftly, hearing Yami’s wonderful laughter ringing in his ears, causing his cheeks to burn.  
Damn.

“That’s not how this works!” Yami insisted playfully, allowing himself to be led to the door.

“I think you’re sorely mistaken too,” Seto replied sardonically, giving Yami a shove through the open doorway.

Yami threw Seto a soft smirk over his shoulder and strode out into the hallway, walking straight towards the elevator without waiting for Seto to catch up.

He heard a quick patter of footsteps behind him and strong arms wrapped firmly around his waist as Seto rushed at him and embraced him tightly from behind, growling in his ear. “Why aren’t you fucking waiting for me?” And Yami felt his stomach swoop wonderfully as his heart skipped several beats in his chest, hearing his own laughter echoing up and down the hall. Seto’s breath in his ear was ticklish!

Seto reached over Yami’s shoulder and pressed the down button, giving Yami’s earlobe a playful nibble, and Yami twisted around to kiss him deeply, his hands tangling through his hair once more, drawing him in as his silky tongue flicked sensually over the tops of their lips.

The elevator bell dinged behind Yami, and Seto ignored it. He was drowning in Yami’s scent, in Yami’s hands locked around his neck, in Yami’s hardness pressed against his leg…fuck.

The elevator doors began sliding shut and Seto pulled out of the kiss to lunge forward, stopping them before they closed, hearing Yami cry out in dismay and cling tightly onto him.

“Come on,” Seto hissed, dragging Yami into the elevator as the doors slid shut behind them and Yami wobbled dangerously on his knees which were unusually weak.  
Kissing Seto was like heaven every time.  
It didn’t matter where they did it.  
All that mattered was that it felt good.

“No touching,” Seto said viciously, trying to compose himself as he frantically fixed his hair in the reflection of the elevator mirrors.

“No touching,” Yami repeated amicably, thinking he would touch Seto under the dinner table as much as he possibly could to convince his owner to return to the room so they could continue kissing until the sun rose.

The elevator doors slid open on another floor Yami had never seen before, and he marveled at the wide empty space before him.

A long table was set before a set of glass doors with golden handles, and the men standing before them bowed, holding out a book and pen.

“Welcome Mr. Kaiba. Would you like to sign in?”

Yami watched as Seto waved it away irritably and slid his phone out, showing them something on the screen.

The men leaned forward to squint at it before nodding hastily and allowing them to pass through the glass doors, and Yami was once again amazed at the size of the room.  
  
Many round tables draped with white cloth were grouped together at the center of the floor, which Yami realized was a ballroom. Lights and stage curtains hung from one end of the room, and the ground was unusually shiny.

The tiles were set in a sharp pattern stemming from the middle of the room with the shards of colored tiles leading into a wonderful spiral into the center of the floor, accenting the group of round tables, and Yami tried to swallow his unease.

This entire room smelled like an elite event. And it looked like they were the first ones there. Where was everyone else?

Yami continued to survey the room, eyeing a grand staircase leading up to a tall balcony, which was shrouded in red curtains, and he couldn’t help but marvel at how high the ceiling went. The largest chandelier he had ever seen in his life hung above them, it’s crystals dripped from it like sparkling drops of rain.

 _I hate it here,_ Yami thought cheerfully, following Seto to a table at the very far end, seeing his owner pull the chair out for him and waving away the servant who rushed to his aid.

“Sit…and behave,” Seto growled, giving Yami a slight shove towards the chair, and he made sure Yami was seated before he sat himself down too.

Yami placed his hands on the table, wondering why there were no eating utensils. The servants were also standing along the walls, waiting beside large silver carts, looking bored.

“Where is everyone?” Yami asked nervously, and he watched Seto meticulously adjust his tie knot, his knuckles very pale against his dark suit, and Yami felt his heart race.

“Don’t touch the table, and sit up straight,” Seto said quietly, seeing a familiar couple stand by the door and he stood fluidly, preparing himself to greet them, his heart pounding nervously in his chest.

“Seto…” Yami said anxiously, also watching the couple through the glass doorway, and the man bent forward to sign the guest book.            

“Don’t place your elbows on the table, and don’t say anything to anyone unless they address you directly,” Seto said, giving Yami a serious nod, seeing Yami nod back, looking slightly afraid.  
Damn.  
Instead of kissing and almost-fucking in the room, he should’ve prepped Yami on proper etiquette.

Yami watched the man and woman sweep into the ballroom arm in arm, wearing matching black attire, and the man rushed forwards to shake Kaiba’s hand.

“Ah…Mr. Kaiba!” The man exclaimed happily, bowing into the handshake and Seto forced a smile on his face, watching the man’s wife bow respectfully.

“Thank you for your generous donation,” She said silkily, patting her husband’s arm and smiling elegantly. “Our daughter did nothing but visit the animal shelters non-stop for the past three months afterwards.”

Kaiba nodded stiffly, hoping the smile on his face didn’t become a grimace as several more people filed into the room and began milling around, chatting happily.

Several groups of people had also begun seating themselves at the tables and the room was starting to grow noisy with the clamor of many voices.

Yami perked his ears up, unable to believe what he was hearing. Donation? Animal shelter? The couple had a daughter…who liked animals?

The couple drifted away, and Yami decided it was too difficult to remember faces. He would just absorb as much information as he possibly could.

He watched as Seto paused to look at him, seemingly about to say something before a short, stout man swung by with a beautiful woman on his arm.

She smiled dazzlingly at Kaiba, and Yami blinked, staring at the tiny row of diamonds on her necklace, and he felt his stomach clench. She had long slender arms, full lips, and beautiful almond shaped eyes. This woman was very pretty….

“Kaiba-sama,” the man said excitedly, pointing at the woman on his arm. She curtsied, lifting up her long black gown, showing off a pair of very delicate looking feet strapped into a pair of slick black heels with a thin band going around her tiny ankles, and Yami couldn’t help but stare.

Was every part of this woman beautiful?

“We-…I didn’t have the opportunity to introduce the two of you…” The man stammered, looking as if he was swelling up with air, which Yami realized was an expression of pride. “My daughter, Master Kaiba…my daughter…!”

“Ah,” Kaiba said sourly, and Yami bit his tongue so hard to keep from laughing.

Seto was wearing an expression Yami had seen often when his owner was sitting at his desk, working on something particularly frustrating. It looked as if he wanted to kill something.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” the woman said warmly, reaching her hand out for a shake, and Yami watched with increasing amusement as Seto reached out to touch her hand. He saw the woman blush and he caught a tense muscle jumping in Seto’s cheek.

Turning away to glance down at the empty space on the table in front of him, Yami let himself smile.

Seeing Seto act like this in front of a beautiful woman was oddly satisfying.

This meant he would have no trouble getting Seto to leave this dinner early to head back upstairs…so they could play.

Seto nodded mindlessly as the woman continued chattering excitedly while her father left them alone, and he felt Yami turn away from them, causing him to panic slightly.  
  
Damn…could Yami understand what was being said? Of course he could.  
Then, could he see how much he was suffering?  
That fool better not be laughing at his expense.

“Ah!! Misako! Over here!” The woman cried, waving energetically at her friend, who dashed over to join her, bowing politely at Kaiba, her eyes shining. “M-Mr. Kaiba, what a surprise!”

Yami heard a second female voice come up behind him, followed by a third, and his amusement began slipping away quickly. It was less entertaining now.  
  
Seto was being flocked by women, and here he was, sitting right behind one of them, and they were ignoring him.

 _I’m leaving,_ Yami thought angrily, rising to his feet and tucking the chair in slowly. He wasn’t going to stick around to watch women fall over his owner while he sat alone at this table.

Seto tried to quell his rising panic as he saw Yami get up to leave, and he cursed internally before calling out to him automatically, unable to stop himself.

“Yami, where are you going?”

Yami froze, his blood running cold as he heard one of the women gasp and circle him like a hawk, her heels clicking loudly across the shiny ballroom floor.

“Yami…is it? Cute nickname!” She giggled and bowed, peering excitedly up into his face as she straightened up, and Yami blinked rapidly, unsure if he ought to bow back, or default on his usual, “I don’t understand Japanese.”

Seto held his breath, desperately trying not to panic as he watched the second woman leave his side to stand beside her friend, reaching out to boldly touch the tips of Yami’s spiky hair.

 _Don’t touch him like he’s a fucking pet, he’s mine!_ Seto growled, shoving his hand into his pocket and clenching his fist. Now he was thoroughly regretting not having briefed Yami on how to behave.  
Don’t reciprocate. Please don’t reciprocate.

Yami stood very still, daring himself to breathe as the woman reached out her hand to tug lightly on the single spike in the middle of his hair, pressing a finely manicured hand to her mouth and giggling. “Your hair is so interesting!”

Seto tensed, feeling the woman who was still at his side loop her arm through his and smile shyly up at him, batting her eyelashes. “You never bring a friend! Who is he? He looks very cool!”

Yami felt the lights grow extremely bright in his vision as his ears began ringing.  
They were now talking about him!  
All the attention…was slowly…turning towards him!

He had done a stupid thing by getting up from the seat!

“Do you speak Japanese?” the woman in a blue dress standing in front of him asked keenly, and a third woman in a glittering yellow dress rushed forward to slowly hug her friend from the side, holding a wine glass which was tipping precariously in her hand.

“Long time no see! Who is your friend? Oh, you look like rock star!” the yellow dress girl said happily, nodding at Yami, and Yami felt his head spin as he slowly began to understand.

Ah…these women just…flocked. It was in their natural movements.  
  
Fine.  
  
Then he would compete with Seto for the attention of these women, and show Seto how much he had learned in the past few months.  
He knew Seto valued knowledge and companionship, and based on what the girl had said earlier, his owner usually attended these functions alone, probably swatting away hundreds of these women, and the stress in the atmosphere was apparent.

If he helped ease the pressure off of his owner, he would surely be rewarded…!

“He doesn’t speak Japanese,” Seto said hastily, moving to stand beside Yami, and he felt the girl beside him cling annoyingly tighter onto his arm.

“What are you talking about, Seto? Of course I speak Japanese,” Yami said easily, turning to flash Seto a devilish grin, seeing his owner’s eyes widen significantly, and the girls around him gasped and giggled in amusement.

And Seto watched with increasing amazement as Yami nodded at the girl closest to him, pressing a hand to his cheek, leaning forward as if to whisper in her ear, but speaking loudly. “He always introduces me that way, so that you won’t pay me any attention.”

The girls around him shrieked with laughter. Their voices echoed loudly around the ballroom, causing several heads to turn in their direction, and Seto felt the floor dip down violently beneath him. What…the fuck…was happening?

“You’re _adorable_ ,” the yellow dress woman said, giving Yami a playful nudge with her elbow, throwing her hair seductively over her shoulder, and Yami smiled warmly back at her, complimenting her smoothly in return. “And the color yellow suits you so well!”

The women giggled in unison again and Seto felt the air slowly leaving his lungs.  
What the fuck was this?! Yami was flirting so shamelessly, it was hard to watch!

Yami turned to flash him a confident smirk and Seto felt himself slowly growing numb as the girl beside him gave his arm a squeeze while laughing excitedly. “Your friend is hilarious! Where is he from?”

“Venus,” Yami replied readily, bowing politely at the woman beside his owner, hearing the girls gasp and hang onto his every word. “I’m a Venusian. Nice to meet you.”

Seto felt faint as the amused laughter from the women rang in his ears once more.

“Venus?” the woman on his arm echoed incredulously.

Yami nodded lightly, responding so fluently, it made Seto’s stomach clench. “The planet of love.”

Shrill laughter rang out for the third time and the girl in the yellow dress reached out to touch the spike in the center of Yami’s hair, sounding awestruck. “I would love for you to show me around your home planet sometime! I’ve always wanted to visit the planet of love!”

Seto felt like vomiting. Originally, he had been worried that Yami wouldn’t be able to handle himself if he was approached, but it seemed like he was more than capable…charming even!

“What’s going on here?” A familiar voice rang out behind the women, and Yami bit his lower lip in an effort to keep his face straight. Pegasus.

“Kaiba-boy! Popular as ever….and…hoooo a foreigner!” Pegasus said mildly, not looking Yami in the eye, and Yami blinked rapidly, understanding that this was an act. They were going to pretend like they had never met before.

“Mr. Pegasus, your newest card was absolutely beautiful!! You are a true artist!” The girl in the blue dress gasped, bowing deeply, and all the women followed suit, leaving Seto and Yami standing stiffly, staring listlessly at Pegasus.

Seto opened his mouth to hurl a foul insult at Pegasus, but was interrupted by a light clinking coming from the middle of the room.

All heads turned to face handsome man with greying hair who was standing on a chair, tapping a fork against the side of his wine glass.

“It looks like everyone is here!” the man said enthusiastically, and the room burst into polite applause. “Let’s all have a seat…”

Yami zoned out as the man continued speaking, not wanting to waste his energy by trying to understand what he was saying. The man finished speaking and applause echoed around them coupled by the sound of chairs being pulled back and the quiet clinking of plates being set out by the waitstaff.

The women drifted away and Seto took this chance to grab Yami by the arm, leading him back to their seat hissing angrily in his ear. “You like being the center of attention, don’t you?”

Yami sat down heavily in his chair, feeling slightly offended. “And you don’t?” He shot back, feeling Seto’s grip tighten around his arm, and his heart raced anxiously. Why was Seto angry? He should be glad….

“Right,” Seto seethed, eyeing a German couple that was moving towards their table. “Which one did you like? The girl in the yellow dress?”

Yami blinked incredulously, feeling Seto’s hand slide off his arm as a handsome couple sat down across from them, smiling politely at his owner.

The man spoke a greeting in language Yami couldn’t understand, and Yami felt his mind hum strangely and shut off. He watched as the man pulled the seat out for his wife, and he couldn’t help but stare at them both.

They looked like a magazine ad, with light brown hair, pale skin, beautiful eyes framed with dark lashes, and sparkling teeth.

Yami threw a frantic glance over at Seto, wondering if his owner could understand their language, and to his increasing amazement, Seto stood up and shook the man’s hand, responding fluently.

The man and woman laughed politely and nodded, responding with enthusiasm as the wait staff circled their table and began placing plates and napkins in front of them.

Now, panic began to settle firmly inside Yami’s chest. Learning Japanese and a bit of English was not enough to keep up! What language was this? Italian?

Yami studied the foreign couple’s features carefully, narrowing down different parts of Europe in his mind, but realizing that it was futile. He didn’t know what language it was, but clearly, Seto could speak it fluently.

Swallowing his fear, Yami resolved to keep his face looking neutral and pleasant. The tone of this couple was polite, so he would aim to be polite too.

Suddenly, Yami heard Seto say his name, apparently introducing him.

Yami sat up straighter and nodded politely, seeing the couple nod back, and his throat tightened as he saw Lina wearing a bright red dress on the arm of another man, drifting by behind the seated couple, giving him a solid smile that said, _“I see you.”_

Blinking rapidly, Yami forced a smile on his face, hoping it would hide any look of terror which may have accidently graced his face, and he saw Seto tense beside him.  
  
Ah, his owner had also seen Lina. Wonderful.

Thankfully, Seto had somehow made the couple laugh again, and Yami slowly followed Lina with his gaze, watching her man pull out her seat and help her take off the glittering shawl she was wearing.

Frowning, Yami stared intently at the back of the man’s head, thinking he looked more attractive than her other ‘clients’. The man bent forward and whispered something in her ear before straightening up and taking a seat across from her.

Yami whipped his head back around to stare at the empty plate in front of him, feeling his cheeks heat up terribly.

The foreign sounds buzzed in his ears, and he listened half-heartedly to the way Seto was speaking, appreciating that his voice sounded different when he spoke this language…but…it was this feeling again. The feeling of crushing despair, of being left behind.

The waitstaff circled their table again and a sparkling appetizer was set in front of them.

Yami stared down at the soup, seeing the chandelier crystals reflected on its surface like tiny sparkling raindrops. Everything was beautiful…and terrible.

Yami raised his head dully, staring at the waiter who was draping a napkin over the businessman’s lap, and he realized with a jolt that the waiter was very handsome.

He had sharp features with slick black hair which was parted to the side, and his eyes were beautiful, narrow slits. The man raised his gaze briefly and their eyes met. Yami held his breath, feeling electric. The man lowered his head respectfully and placed the menu on the table, gently explaining each entrée, and Yami took this chance to continue staring at the waiter, noticing that the man kept looking at him from time to time.

The menu snapped shut and Yami blinked, startled, realizing he hadn’t heard a word the man had said.

He watched as the man walked away, and he followed him with his eyes, noticing that this time around, all the wait staff was wearing suits. The outfit hugged the man’s slender shoulders perfectly…also, his stature and height was similar to Seto’s!

Seto tensed, fully aware that the waiter had made direct eye contact with Yami several times while serving the German businessman. If he wasn’t mistaken…Yami was also flirting with the waiter.

He clenched his fist in his lap, feeling jealousy and anger consume him in a sudden rush. What part of ‘behave’ did Yami not understand? Or was Yami doing this on purpose, to incite him?

 _“So, Mr. Kaiba,”_ the German businessman spoke genially, _“We’re also very interested in investing in your security systems!”_

Seto nodded numbly, answering carefully while he crept his hand underneath the table and found Yami’s knee, giving it a solid squeeze, hoping to convey his anger and frustration. _Stop fucking flirting with every human in sight._

Yami jumped slightly, and composed himself, gingerly sipping his soup as he felt Seto’s fingers tighten painfully over his knee. Anger. Seto was angry. Good. If he was angry, they would leave sooner.

The waiter drifted by their table again and began pouring wine in their glasses, and Yami stared at his fingers, amazed to discover that his nails were also thin, lovely ovals.

Seto narrowed his eyes, half-listening to the German businessman, half-staring at the waiter’s hands as they passed across his face, his stomach twisting as he caught Yami’s intense stare, following the man’s hands. G-Goddammit, Yami.

Seto decided that was going to shove his dick into Yami’s ass without mercy when they returned up to their room.

“Do we need anything else here before the main course?” The man spoke politely, looking directly at Yami, and Yami swallowed tightly, holding his gaze bravely, feeling his heart race frantically in his chest. Did Seto know that this man was staring at him? This man liked him!

“No, nothing,” Seto answered angrily, hating the man with his entire being as he watched the man begin to set utensils before them.

Yami blinked mildly, staring at the sharp steak knife sitting next to his plate, feeling Seto’s hand tighten over his knee once more and he slowly moved his hand over it, gripping Seto’s fingers tightly.  
  
_Seto, I’m going to steal this knife…please don’t hate me._

Seto felt his heart skip several beats as Yami’s warm hand came down over his and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“Mr. Kaiba…” The man’s wife spoke up and Kaiba nodded sharply, forcing himself to focus. He was being stupid. Yami wouldn’t run off with one of the waitstaff for a casual fuck, would he? Because he was _so_ insistent on losing his virginity.…

But…just to be sure, he had to make sure to give Yami a good fuck before they got off this ship. If he kept refusing Yami’s advances, Yami might leave him.  
  
He was already talking and acting like he could…easily leave, and the thought made Seto’s stomach churn with nausea.  
  
Yami could leave him easily.  
His flirting earlier was evident of that.  
Was that an unspoken threat?

Yami folded his napkin neatly in his lap, sharpening his senses. Now, he had to smuggle this knife off the table without being noticed by anyone.

He watched as the foreign couple threw their heads back and laughed heartily at Seto’s words, and Yami rested his hand casually on the handle of his knife, slowly easing it off the edge and into his lap, gazing at the diners seated nearby at other tables.  
No one was looking in their direction.  
Good. Now, he could bluff and say the waiter had forgotten to give him a knife.

Yami felt Seto’s hand slip off from his knee and he paid it no mind, wrapping his napkin around the blade neatly in a small roll, and he slid it into his pocket, but to his horror, the pocket was too short, and the edge of the napkin was peeking out against his black pants.  
  
Damn. Maybe he had to stick it in the waistband of his pants.

A white-gloved hand slid across his vision and set a steaming cut of meat surrounded by colorful vegetables in front of him, and there were cries of delight and approval coming from around them as the warm smell of roasted beef filled the air.

“Excuse me,” Yami said lightly, looking then handsome waiter right in the eye, seeing the man swallow visibly and smile shakily as he responded. “Yes?”

“I’m missing a knife from my set,” Yami said carefully, feeling his skin burn as he thought he could feel Seto glaring at him.

“I’m so sorry,” the man said warmly, and he bowed away quickly.

Seto watched him go, staring at the remaining cutlery in front of Yami, goosebumps slowly rising on his arms.  
Yami wasn’t fucking missing a knife. He had stolen it!  
Why?!  
And when had he done that?! The table had just been set!

“Yami…put it back,” Seto said lightly, choosing to speak very quickly in Japanese, praying that Yami could understand him and that his foreign partners couldn’t. “Put it back, now.”

“What, Seto?” Yami responded, copying his light tone, fully aware that Seto knew what he had done. “Put what back?”

Seto grit his teeth and smiled politely at his foreign business partners across the table, feeling himself sweat. What the _fuck_ was Yami doing?! Why was he acting out so badly here, now?

Yami watched the people around them eat, and the handsome waiter appeared beside him again, gently setting a new knife beside his plate, apologizing again before hurrying away, and Seto stared hopelessly down at his own plate.  
His appetite was gone, but damn, he still had to eat for appearances.  
  
Yami picked up the knife and sliced his meat firmly with even strokes, copying the way the foreign man was holding his cutlery as Lina’s annoying voice trilled through his mind.  
  
_“You owe me…blend in…. You owe me…!”_

 _Damn you,_ Yami cursed darkly, resisting the urge to turn around to glare at Lina sitting at the table behind them. He would hand the knife to her at the poolside, and wash his hands of this incident. If she managed to kill herself, great.

Seto was barely following the conversation at the table as he caught another dark glare passing across Yami’s face. What the hell was going on?  
What the hell was going on with him?!

“Ah…that’s adorable!” the man’s wife exclaimed, pointing excitedly at Yami’s hand, and Seto froze, horror trickling through him as he realized she was referring to their matching rings. Oh fuck. He had forgotten to take his off.

Yami chewed slowly, watching the woman point her nicely manicured finger right at him, and he pointed at himself, raising his eyebrows. Me? What?

“This!” She said hastily in Japanese, pointing at her own forefinger, where a large tear-drop shaped sapphire sat, encrusted with diamonds, and Yami blinked, feeling his heart stop in his chest. Their rings had been noticed. What now?

He looked to Seto for guidance, and to his horror, he saw that Seto was smiling a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“It’s cute, right?” Seto said lightly, sawing at his steak with more force than necessary, his mind scrambling for the easiest lie. “We’ve been friends for so long, it’s an ongoing inside joke.”

 _A joke?_ Yami thought, his heart sinking into his stomach. Wait…was Seto saying this for appearances or did he actually mean it that way?

“Oh I know!” the woman said, stumbling over her syllables in Japanese. “I had a matching necklace with my longtime childhood friend!”

“Right right!” her husband added on in German, laughing warmly. “Catrin, was it?”

Yami watched the woman nod happily and his mind spun with a haze of unanswered questions. What? Who? Never mind. That was not important. What was important was that Seto had managed to swat the question away with ease and cleverness. Impressive.

The knife sitting in his pocket was beginning to burn and Yami was restless. Maybe he could sneak away now. What was Lina’s plan? He had no idea!

The waiter appeared beside him and shoved the menu in his face, speaking low in his ear. “From table 23, they are requesting you order this dessert,” And Yami blinked, startled, staring at the tiny piece of paper sitting pinned against the menu beside the waiter’s thumb. It was a note written messily in Arabic.

_“Bathroom. This floor.”_

Seto felt his stomach drop to his feet as the large menu obscured Yami’s face completely, and he heard the waiter murmur something quietly to Yami, and his panic rose to an all-time high. What the fucking hell!! Was the waiter picking Yami up?

“Your childhood friend is quite pretty,” the wife said amicably, nodding at the waiter who lifted the menu up and tucked it under his arm, moving steadily away from their table. “Where is he from?”

“Do you want the serious answer, or the answer he usually gives?” Seto asked aggressively, losing all of his patience as he felt Yami slowly rise to his feet beside him. Where the fuck was he going?

“The answer he gives!” The man said happily, nodding at Yami.

Yami bowed deeply at them both, twice, and spoke formally.  “Please excuse me. I need to use the amenities.”

Seto stared, wondering if he should stay angry or if he ought to be impressed.

“It can wait until after dessert,” Seto said tightly, using all of his effort to keep his face straight and his voice steady.

“I’m afraid it can’t wait, Kaiba-sama,” Yami said carefully, enunciating his owner’s name with the honorary he had never used, praying that Seto would understand that something was wrong. The knife, to Lina, and then he would return.

Seto’s breath hitched in his throat as he heard Yami address him as “Kaiba-sama.” Something…was definitely wrong.

He nodded stiffly, staring deeply into Yami’s eyes, noticing that they were slightly wide with fear. The waiter had said something to him and it had put him off.

“I’ll be right back,” Yami said nervously, flashing the couple a bright smile before turning to walk through the ballroom, keeping his hand casually inside the pocket with the knife, slipping his palm over it until the handle slid up his sleeve.

He was dimly aware that Lina’s table was empty as he walked by, and Pegasus raised his wine glass in a playful toast from a nearby table.

Trying to calm his pounding heart, Yami ducked out through the glass doors, feeling the doormen’s eyes on his back as he moved down the carpeted hallway, searching for the bathroom sign.

He spotted the white sign and moved towards it, hearing a small knock on the wall beside him. He jerked around, seeing Lina standing in a small waiting area with a bench.

“Good, you’re not a lying coward after all,” she said fluently, tossing a curl of her hair over her shoulder in her usual haughty way. “Where is it?”

Yami moved his hand out of his pocket and she hissed at him, moving to stop his hand by wrapping her cold fingers around his wrist, and Yami jerked back, “Don’t fucking touch me.”

“Don’t take it out here, are you fucking stupid?! You are!” Lina whispered hoarsely, shaking her beautiful head. “Being with your Seto has made you soft. There’s a camera there. Don’t look. It’s right over your shoulder.”

 _Camera?_ Yami thought, terrified, feeling ice shoot through his core. This was a bad place for a hand-off! This bitch was stupid!

“The only place that doesn’t have cameras are the rooms. Give it to me there. Come with me now.” Lina said desperately, pointing down the hall, and Yami tensed, shaking his head replying angrily. “The cameras will see me following you into the room!”

“A lot of people are seen going in and out of this room,” Lina said coldly. “You would just be one of the many men.” And she turned away, quickly walking out of the hallway and towards the elevators.

Yami hesitated, his mind was screaming for him not to follow, but his legs moved on their own, stepping into the golden elevator with her, and the doors slid shut in his vision.

“And…see, there is a camera here too…” Lina breathed quietly, leaning against the railing in the far corner with her arms crossed defensively across her chest, pushing her breasts up higher through her dress. “Last chance for a good sex…whatever your name is…832…823…I already forgot.”

“Ask me again and I’ll kill you myself,” Yami spat, tightening his grip over the knife in his pocket, feeling as if he was betraying Seto’s trust enormously.  
He tried his best not to stare at the small black dome above them in the elevator ceiling.

Cameras _were_ everywhere.  
Normally, he would spot these easily and be aware of them at all times.  
He _was_ getting soft around Seto.  
  
Why did he feel so guilty doing this?! If this was the right thing to do, why did he feel so bad doing it?

“Do you want my jewelry?” she asked plainly, taking off her ruby earrings and holding them out in her palm. “Look at me, still helping you. Pawn this for money when you escape.”

Yami grit his teeth, feeling his body burn with a strange fire. Sure…he could easily leave Seto, but the question was, why would he want to?

“I’m not leaving my owner,” Yami said darkly, feeling his stomach churn as the lift came to a stop at another floor and Lina swept out of the elevator before him so silently, it unnerved him. She was no longer jeering or cackling at him. It was as if a weird calm has settled over her, and Yami realized it was because she was already thinking about death.

“Then take the jewelry off my dead body when you’ve changed your mind,” Lina said viciously, reaching into her bra and pulling out a silver card. “You’re only good for one thing, and your time is up. Leave immediately after you step inside and hand it to me.”

“Gladly,” Yami responded, watching her shoulder the door open, and he slipped inside after her, seeing her breathe a sigh of relief.

“Give it here, now,” she said, suddenly sounding angry.

Yami nodded and handed her the napkin-wrapped knife, and she sunk to the floor on her knees, staring at the blade with an expression that made his stomach curl.

“Now I’m leaving,” Yami said nervously, turning around and grabbing the handle, hearing her sob loudly behind him, and he tensed, hating himself for caring. “Sit in water to help you bleed faster.”

“N-No…” she gasped, and Yami saw a hand slam down against the door beside his ear. Strong arms wrapped around his waist, picking him up so fast, the wind left his body and he was thrown violently down on the bed.

To his ultimate horror, Rahim’s bearded face appeared above him, his eyes gleaming with delight as he pinned Yami down by the shoulders, straddling him tightly, hissing in Arabic. “The street rats know each other! I thought so! Seto Kaiba is on my level after all!”

Now thoroughly terrified, Yami struggled to strike out, feeling his legs beginning to go numb as Lina’s desperate screams echoed in the background. _“L-Let him go! You filthy pig! Let him go!”_

“I want to taste his hole,” Rahim said evilly, turning around to shout at her. “Stop your crying you fucking whore!” And Yami could feel the air slowly leaving his lungs as Rahim’s hands slid around his throat and began choking him.  
The room swam and began turning green and red.  
No…he wouldn’t…he wouldn’t lose his hole to this…monster!

“How do you like it? Hm?” Rahim asked, pressing his thumbs tighter down against Yami’s adam’s apple, and Yami flexed his whole body, screaming for air, desperately struggling to fight back, but Rahim was too heavy. “A man’s hole…would feel as tight as a woman’s asshole…no—”

Rahim let out a wounded scream, and Yami felt something hot and wet soaking through the leg of his pants as the hands around his throat released him, and he kicked out with all his might, giving Rahim a solid punch across the face for good measure, watching as he fell off the edge of the bed, whimpering in pain.

He glanced down at the man, terrified to see blood streaming from his thigh and soaking into the beige carpet, and Yami realized with a terrible jolt that Lina had stabbed Rahim in the leg.

“Die, you rapist pig!” Lina cried shrilly, straddling him tightly on the floor and repeatedly shoving the knife downwards into his body, and Yami felt himself waver on the spot as the man’s horrified yells filled the room.

He stared out across the room, feeling empty, registering that this suite was even bigger than the one Pegasus had.

There was a downstairs…and an upstairs.  
Where did they lead?  
To heaven, or hell?

Rahim’s yells turned into quiet moans and Lina’s cackling laugh pierced through his soul in a cold, terrible way.

There was a kitchen with full set of silver ovens.  
  
There was a man being murdered on the floor of this beautiful room.  
  
The balcony curved outwards in an elegant crescent shape, lined with golden railings.

Rahim had gone quiet, and there was a terrible, wet, squishing noise.  
  
It was the sound of Lina’s footsteps on the blood-soaked carpet.

“There was a struggle as he tried to kill me, and now we’re both dead!” She proclaimed triumphantly, and Yami slowly turned to look at her, seeing the bottom of her red dress completely soaked dark with blood, and several splatters had landed on her cheeks.

Yami paled, hearing his own heartbeat thundering in his ears, drowning out everything. This was a dream. This was surely a terrible nightmare.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Thank you[ ylje](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ylje/pseuds/ylje) for going over this so well!!! You are the best!!!

Thank you everyone for reading yet another chapter!!  
Things are getting intense!  
Leave a comment to let me know how you feel!

warm hugs,  
  
UGLI

 


	24. Are you a good master?

Yami’s legs were cemented into the floor.  
Leave. Run. Why couldn’t he move?  
Why was there a body, with his legs still twitching, laying just beyond the bed?  
Why.  
Think.  
Breathe.  
Think.  
There was a dead man.  
Escape would not be so easy.  
  
“My fingerprints may also be on the knife,” Yami said numbly, hating himself deeply. He had forgotten to wipe it with alcohol as Lina had requested, and now, a man Seto knew was dead, with a knife that had his prints. This was a dangerous situation.

“I’ll throw it into the sea!” Lina cried gleefully, “But if you insist, I will clean it now! I don’t want this pig’s blood inside of me.”

She hiked up her dress and walked over to the kitchen, trailing blood behind her across the carpet. She pulled out a bottle of alcohol from the cabinets and Yami watched her bend over the sink, hearing her humming happily, and he felt like vomiting.  
  
The disgusting, metallic smell of blood was now thick in the air, and it was choking him. He couldn’t vomit.  
He was in a room with a dead body.  
It would leave a trace of a third person in the room.  
He was in a room with a dead body!  
He had to leave now, but he was covered in blood, and it was touching his skin through his pants.  
Disgusting.  
Rahim’s blood…was on his skin.

“What do I do,” Yami mumbled to himself, feeling the room swim in his vision again.  
  
Seto was connected to Rahim! Would Seto get into trouble?!  
It was possible!  
Rahim was last seen leaving Seto’s office, shouting!

No. He had to focus. There was a way to safely get out of this room.  
  
There was always a way.

If the soldiers in the park had taught him anything at all, it was that there was always a way.

Fool the enemy.  
And the enemy in this situation, were the authorities.  
  
Diversion.

There was a struggle.

Yami shrugged off his blazer and used it as a barrier to touch everything in the room, upending tray of food sitting on the coffee table, kicking the flower vase over onto the floor, opening all the drawers and leaving them laying around haphazardly.  
  
“Yeah, throw a tantrum!” Lina cheered, taking a swig out of the bottle, watching him gleefully, whooping loudly. “Let me drink before I die. It will thin my blood…” And she took another swig.

Yami held his breath, swinging the balcony door open, letting the chilly night air rush into the room, and he marched towards the kitchen, prying open the cabinets to grab more bottles of alcohol and smashing them against the wall, watching the streams of liquid drip down into the carpet as the sharp smell stung his nose.

Lina hiccupped and looked up at him strangely.

“Wh-What is your name?” she asked shakily. Her bloody hand was gripping the bottle and Yami realized she was bleeding. The edges of her palms had been cut because she had been stabbing the knife through Rahim so vigorously….

“I won’t tell you my name,” Yami said viciously, “Don’t come back to haunt me.”

“My spirit won’t hang around to remember you,” Lina said happily, chugging the alcohol with more vigor. “Say, do you know how to write?”

Yami surveyed the mess he had made in the room, spying the dark patch of blood on the bed, and he snatched the bottle of alcohol out of Lina’s hands, dashing towards it and carefully pouring it over the patch.

This way…if anyone were to study this patch of blood, they would not be able to discover anything.

“Hey!” she cried angrily, sitting limply on the kitchen floor with her blood-soaked dress gathered around her.

“You can have it back now,” Yami said hastily, gripping the neck of the bottle through the fabric of his blazer, now fully aware that Lina’s blood was on his jacket.

Jacket.

“Where is my jacket?!” Yami asked in a frantic rush, surveying the room with dread. Was his jacket in here?

“Oh, that ratty thing?” She said, grinning, gesturing for him to pass the bottle. “It’s in my room.”

“Where is your room?” Yami asked fearfully. If he didn’t remove his jacket from her possession, could the authorities trace the purchase of it to Seto?  
Seto had used a card to pay for it!

He was quickly going numb with terror.  
There was a decaying body in the corner of the room.  
This room smelled like blood.  
  
Protect Seto.  
  
As an illegal citizen in the country of Japan, he could run away from this and survive, but Seto was an established businessman, and this…this was murder!  
  
And it was about to become a murder suicide! Seto would be ruined!

“5…-hic…31…” Lina mumbled weakly, raising the knife up to her face, holding out her wrist. “Should I run a bath?”

“Let me into that room.” Yami demanded, advancing on her. “That jacket ties you to my owner, and I won’t have this touching his name.”

“The…door key is easy.” Lina answered in monotone, staring down at herself sadly. “It’s just 0009, because my bitch of an owner is stupid. She’s obsessed with your Seto, you know? She bought you for him…she bought you!” Lina laughed hysterically as tears began streaming down her face, and Yami felt the air leave his lungs in a sudden whoosh.

So it was like that?!  
It all made sense!  
Seto’s gentle actions from the day he set foot into the mansion were real.  
It had never been an act.  
Seto was…truly kind after all!

“It’s…just…hic-…so-so funny to me,” Lina continued ranting, staring vividly at her knife. “Because you’re so in love with him, and it’s like he loves you back! She loses! She loses!”

“Write her name in your blood,” Yami said slowly, his mind suddenly clear.

Pin the murder-suicide on Lina’s owners and the authorities would look no further.

“I don’t know how to write!” Lina shrieked hysterically. “Her name is so complicated! But I know the company name! I know many things! I’m smart and I’m beautiful! I’m smart…even though I don’t know how to write!” Lina insisted, shaking her head desperately, her eyes shining with tears of despair.

“I’ll hold your hand and write it,” Yami hissed, slipping his hand through the sleeve of his blazer, using it as a glove, nodding at her bloodied hand. “Put your wrist in my hand here. Dip your finger in the blood on your dress.”

“And then…you’ll help me,” Lina cried, ranting hysterically as the alcohol began to take effect. “I’m so scared…! I want to die, I want to die, I want to die--”

“I’ll help you die, godammit!” Yami growled, roughly grabbing Lina by the wrist and moving her hand to touch the blood on her dress, but it wasn’t wet enough.

“I’ll cut myself and use my own blood,” Lina insisted, and before Yami could say anything, she grabbed the knife and pressed the blade against her skin on her bare leg, drawing a steady stream of blood. It pooled dark red on the white kitchen tiles and Yami felt bile rising up in his throat. Where was God when you needed him?

“Is that enough? Hurry! Write!” Lina slurred desperately, flexing her hand in his grasp, and Yami nodded, robotically moving her outstretched pointer finger towards the thin pool of blood, dragging it out to write Rahim’s name.

“He killed me,” Yami said numbly, slowly moving Lina’s hand back to dip into the blood as her finger streaked dry across the kitchen floor. “And I killed him.”

“The company’s name is Naoko Incorporated,” Lina hiccupped, her voice trembling with sorrow as she watched Yami move her hand in slow swirls as he wrote. “I-It hurts…but I’m glad you’re here….”

“Right,” Yami replied darkly, wondering if he had written it correctly. “Naoko Inc. is responsible for this mess.”

“C-Correct,” Lina stammered, staring down at the neat row of words right beside her thigh, and she shut her eyes, breathing deeply.

Yami hoped for moment that she wasn’t about to go through with it, but she opened her eyes and glared at him fiercely.

“Now leave.” She demanded, sounding determined. “I want to be alone. My room will be empty because my owner is at the dinner too, undoubtedly waiting to pounce on your Seto.”

Yami didn’t need to be told twice. He winced as the blood-stained fabric rubbed uncomfortably against his leg as he stood, carefully stepping through the mess in the room, hastily wiping the door handle with his blazer before yanking it open and stepping out into the empty hallway.

The door slammed shut behind him and Yami held his breath, draping his blazer over his arm, wishing he had access to a mirror. He was covered in blood…was there blood on his face? What if someone saw him?!

Yami froze on the spot, realizing that there were cameras now watching him. How could he get rid of his blood-soaked clothes? Throw it overboard? No, too suspicious! Things were always getting washed up at sea, and Seto had purchased this outfit for him!

It needed to be cleaned first.

His feet took him to the stairs and he slowly began heading down, down…each of his steps growing heavier on the carpet as he noticed a thin line of blood sitting in the wedge on the sole of his shoe.

Damn. Even his shoes had blood. Why did Lina have to be so messy….

He stopped on a familiar floor and shouldered the door open to the outside, taking deep gulps of salty air, eyeing the large pool to his right.  
The water’s surface was peaceful and calm.  
Right. Chlorine water.

Yami walked towards the edge and sat down in the freezing water on the top step, spreading his blazer out in front of him, biting back a shiver as the water stung his legs. Endure. For Seto.

He held his breath and waded in deeper, ducking his entire head beneath the water, rubbing his cheeks and arms vigorously.

Yami grabbed at the bloody patch on his trouser leg and began squeezing at it, seeing particles of blood drifting away from the cloth in the eerie blue light shining from the pool’s depths.

He kept rubbing at the fabric every which way, doing the same for the sleeve of his blazer, thankful that it was black.

Yami shivered, hugging himself in the icy water as the sharp smell of chlorine made his eyes water. Soak.

He gazed up at the inky sky, feeling tears welling in the corners of his eyes, wondering if he should pray. Should he pray for Lina?  
He had wished her a painful death and now he was sorely regretting it.

Yami lifted his hands up, staring at the wrinkles beginning to form on the pads of his fingers, and he guessed he had been in the water for about fifteen minutes. Now, he would rinse his clothes out with fresh water so the chemical didn’t seal the blood into the cloth.

He waded towards the edge and heaved himself out of the pool, hearing the door open and swing shut. Terrified, Yami froze, ducking back down into the water, seeing the silhouette of a man move towards the railing to light up a cigarette.

The man let out a slow stream of smoke and surveyed the pool, staring right at him, the orange glow from the tip of his cigarette dropping out of this mouth, and Yami cursed internally again. Damn. Damn. Dammit!

“A-Are you alright?” the man asked carefully, and as he approached, Yami realized it was the handsome waiter from the dinner! Such was his luck!

“I fell in,” Yami lied, sitting casually on the step, throwing the man a bright smile, and he saw the man nod stiffly, his eyes traveling lower along his wet body.

“W-Would you like me to bring you a…robe?” the man mumbled, clasping his hands together respectfully, and Yami nodded slowly once, turning the situation over carefully in his mind. Could he seduce this waiter to make him forget that he had seen him in the pool? The waitstaff would be the first to know about a dead body….  
  
But would this man make the connection between him being in the water and to the two bodies in the room?!

“Aren’t you on your break?” Yami asked, keeping his tone playful and light. To his relief, he saw the man move towards the golden doors, calling over his shoulder. “Wait there!”

Yami gracefully stepped out of the water, feeling his clothes drip heavily as he frantically wrung his blazer out in the pool.

This water was filtered.  
Blood would be untraceable after several hours.

Now, he had to get the damn jacket from Lina’s room, and this poor waiter was going to be his scapegoat.

Shivering from the light wind, Yami hurried towards the door, almost bumping into the waiter as the door swung open, and the man blinked at him, startled. “S-Sir?”

“My name is Rahim,” Yami said hurriedly, pleased to see that the man had even brought a plastic bag for his wet clothes. He snatched the robe out of the man’s hand and stood off to the side, casually stripping.

He made direct eye-contact with the waiter, seeing the man gape at him.

“Can you remember that?” Yami asked keenly, peeling his trousers off and looping them off his ankles, tossing them into the bag, and he saw the man nod silently in the dark beside him.

“You like men?” Yami pressed, yanking off his tie and seeing the man offer to take the article off his hand. He draped his tie over the man’s arm and saw his hand shaking visibly. Was his nakedness disturbing? Good.

Maybe this man would remember nothing else about their encounter, so when he gave an eyewitness statement to the authorities, it would confuse them further.

“I…I…only once…in high school,” the man said quietly.

Yami ignored him, slipping his underwear off and smirking bravely, seeing the man redden at him in the darkness.

Shaking out the robe, Yami put it on, securing the sash tightly around his waist, casually looping his arm through the waiter’s elbow, smiling. “Come to my room.”  
  
Lina’s room.

The man nodded stiffly, and Yami pulled him inside the ship, opting to take the stairs again, hearing the man huffing slightly behind him, attempting to keep up.

“A-Are you a friend…of Seto Kaiba…?” The man asked wearily, and Yami tightened his grip on the man’s elbow, willing his heart to remain calm as he lied. “No. I met him today, and we were seated at the same table. Why? You like him?”

“Seto Kaiba?” The man panted as they cleared another flight of stairs and Yami dragged him down the hallway towards Lina’s room, counting the golden plaques on the doors, desperately hoping the man would not notice the names on them.

“Yes, him,” Yami answered vaguely, eyeing the doors methodically, his eyes burning as he saw the numbers flashing by as they walked. 509…510…512… And he threw a nervous glance upwards at the cameras.

If anyone were to check the footage, it would look as if he skipped out on the dinner because he was sleeping with the waiter, right after sleeping with Lina.

Rahim had died moments before, so if this waiter said he was lured into a room with someone he thought was named Rahim, it would confuse his time of death, especially if an individual named Yami was seen leading him into a room belonging to Naoko Inc.

“Kaiba-san is…handsome…but,” the man paused, patting his brow with the back of his hand delicately, flashing Yami a nervous grin. “But you are prettier.”

 _I know,_ Yami thought darkly, reaching forward to playfully tousle the man’s neatly parted hair, hiding his shock at the way the stiff strands refused to muss up, and he withdrew his hand quickly, entering the code into the door handle, praying the man wouldn’t read the plaque on the door, because it clearly said, ‘A. Naoko’

“I-I’m sorry, but, could you please repeat your name?” The man said nervously, and Yami whirled around, throwing his arms around the man’s waist, gazing up at him, seeing the man stammer and waver on the spot, looking deeply shaken.

“My name is ‘don’t stop’…and ‘keep going.’” Yami said quickly, trying to hide his nervousness. He heard the man chuckle softly behind him and gently grope his ass as they stepped into the room, and it took all of Yami’s resolve not to reach down to snap the man’s fingers off one by one.

Thankfully, he spied his jacket laying on the back of a velvet lounge chair, and he made a beeline for it, throwing it on over his robe, seeing the man standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking dazed.

This man had outlived his usefulness. Time to shake him off.

“Well, this is the wrong room,” Yami said plainly, zipping his jacket up, thinking it looked like he was wearing an odd, skirt-robe underneath. Whatever. Now he had to safely get back into Seto’s room, and he could cry into Seto’s chest while being comforted.

The man blinked at him, astounded. “Wh-What?”

Yami nodded stiffly, clenching his fists at his sides with his mind filled with thoughts of Seto.  
Seto was worried about him now, for sure. It had been almost thirty minutes since he had left his seat at the dinner.

Seto _was_ worried about Yami. Dessert had already been served, and the diners were getting up to leave. The waiter who had been servicing their table had mysteriously disappeared too, and Seto tried to shake off his feeling of deep unease.  
Yami wasn’t hooking up with the waiter.  
Yami wasn’t fucking the waiter in a bathroom somewhere.  
He wouldn’t do that.  
He wouldn’t do that.

Standing fluidly, Seto shook hands with the German couple and excused himself hastily, seeing Annabelle made a beeline for him, and he half-ran towards the doors, hearing her shriek after him. “Seto Kaiba!”

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Seto strode down the hall and ducked into the men’s bathroom, locking himself in the nearest stall, hearing sharp heels echoing past the doorway.

“Mr. Kaiba…are you in there?” she called, her voice echoing around in the empty bathroom, and Seto slid his phone out of his pocket, quickly connecting with the ship’s wifi and accessing the GPS on Yami’s bracelets.

The bathroom was empty, so where the hell was he?

His phone loaded slowly and the sound of clicking heels disappeared. Seto sighed and stared down at his screen, seeing two red dots bunched together on the fifth floor, moving steadily towards the elevators. Fifth floor? What was on the fifth floor?

Yami dashed into the elevator and stabbed at the button, watching as the man rushed at him, looking deeply confused as he shouted at him from across the hall. “Whose room is this?! Wait…why are you running away?!”

 _I ran away from the man who was blackmailing me. He forced me inside the room,_ Yami rehearsed silently, thankful that the doors slid shut before the man could catch up with him.

Now, back to Seto’s room to wash the chlorine stink off his suit.

The elevator stopped at his floor and Yami hurried out of it, his stomach sinking with dread as he realized he didn’t have access to the code or the key.

A large grey cart stacked high with towels stood along the side of the hallway and Yami waited beside it, wondering if the maid would help him. Lie. Smile. Lie.

A stout woman stepped out of a room and looked startled to see him. She blinked rapidly, pressing a hand to her chest, sounding frightened. “M-May I help you?”

“I was in the middle of taking a bath when I accidently locked myself out,” Yami said quickly, tucking his sack of wet clothes behind his back as he pointed down at his robe, kicking his bare feet shyly across the carpet.

“Uh…um….” The maid stammered, her eyes darting left and right, as if she was unsure of where to look. “S-Seto Kaiba’s room?”

“Yes,” Yami nodded, smiling warmly, forcing his heart to calm down. His hands were shaking. “You’ve seen me with him, right?”

“I-I…have….” She said slowly, her cheeks reddening.

“I keep losing my key. So, just this once...please…” Yami blinked softly and smiled again, seeing her hesitate before nodding quickly.

 _Thank god,_ Yami thought, relieved.

He followed her down the hall and watched her slide her key across the handle with a shaking hand, bowing nervously before scurrying away.

Without wasting a moment, Yami pushed the door open and threw himself into the room, feeling a deep wave of relief wash over him, coupled with dread. His vision blurred and he felt nauseous as Rahim’s bloody feet laying on the carpet flashed through his mind.

No. He had to focus.

Yami shrugged his jacket off and stumbled towards the bathroom. He tore off the robe and knelt in the shower, reaching up to switch the water on and gritting his teeth furiously as the cold water cascaded down around his shoulders.

With shaking hands, he dumped the wet suit out of the plastic bag and began wringing the pool water out of it, holding it up to the shower head, feeling hot tears sliding uncontrollably down his cheeks.  
Would this be enough?  
Was this enough?  
How many days left on this hellish ship?  
  
Yami sat down heavily on the cold tiles as he counted the days and nights, feeling the water soaking into him thoroughly, and the rancid smell of chlorine rose up from his skin. Disgusted, Yami stood and reached for soap, rubbing handfuls of it on his skin and emptying the bottle over the sopping mess of clothes at his feet.

Seto had said…5 days and four nights on this godforsaken ship. He had dirtied Seto for two nights straight. This was the third night.  
  
They had two more days and one more night left to go.  
  
He stamped on his suit with his feet, feeling the soapy fabric rubbing into his heels roughly.  
  
Two more days and one night, with dead bodies on the ship.

He was ruining this fancy outfit, but it didn’t matter.  
He would convince Isono to let him burn this in the fireplace.  
It had Rahim and Lina’s blood on it.

Yami shut the water off and knelt to the shower floor once more, viciously wringing out the suit, pressing the fabric to his nose, smelling only the scent of soap. He did the same for his pants, carefully spreading out the area where the bloodstain was, his heart pounding frantically in his chest as he realized he couldn’t see anything.

Did that mean he had successfully washed the blood out? Or…?

Somewhere in the distance, Yami heard the door slam and he stiffened, fear rising quickly up his throat along with bile. No…oh no….

Seto kept his gaze nailed to the screen, half-thankful to see that Yami’s GPS dots had returned to their room, but Yami was in the bathroom. Why? Cleaning himself after a good fuck with the waiter?

He barged into the bathroom, just in time to see Yami bend forwards and vomit onto the shower floor. Seto felt no sympathy as he watched Yami heave again, all over a dark mass at his feet.  
What the fuck was going on.

Yami was naked. And his suit was a wet, soppy mess.

Seto felt his blood run cold as he slowly registered this strange scene, and he watched as Yami gingerly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, clearly attempting to suppress another dry heave.

Had Yami been raped?  
Was that why he was washing everything?  
What the hell was going on?

Stunned and unable to speak, Seto watched as Yami rose to his feet slowly and switched the water on, rinsing his vomit off the cloth, his spiky head lowered in shame.

Yami grit his teeth, hating everything as a terrible sour smell invaded his nostrils.

 Seto had come in at a bad time. Well, now they were even. They had both seen each other at their absolute worst.

He wrung the suit out once more, thankful that he had vomited on it. Now, he had an excuse to give the authorities if they tested his suit for blood.

 _“Why is this entire outfit covered in chlorine?”_  
  
“I was drunk and jumped into the pool, which also explains the traces of vomit.”

Would it work?

After a while, Yami slowly reached behind him, shutting off the water, dimly aware that Seto was still standing on the other side of the glass, glaring at him.

“What the fuck happened to you?” Seto spat, shaking from rage. Now that they were alone, he could vent about every little thing Yami had done at that dinner that annoyed the fuck out of him.

“Nothing happened,” Yami responded emptily, pushing the glass door aside and stepping out, seeing his legs shaking terribly. The heavy weight of despair was still sitting like a rock in his stomach and Yami tried his best to ignore it, reaching for a towel and throwing it over himself, shivering.

Seto stared angrily at Yami’s tanned legs, scanning his body for marks. He saw none, other than the one he had left behind Yami’s ear.

“Something obviously happened,” Seto said coldly, folding his arms across his chest, watching Yami wrap the towel firmly around his waist and methodically pick the suit up from the shower floor and drape it over the edge of the tub.

Yami rushed at him suddenly and threw his arms around his waist, hugging him tightly, and Seto almost slipped on the wet floor from the force of the hug.

“S-Stop…get the fuck off of me,” Seto hissed, wrenching Yami’s arms off and seeing tears sliding down Yami’s cheeks. He glared angrily at him, thinking Yami was trying to play him for forgiveness. Well, it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“You think you can just cry and I’ll forgive you? Tell me who the fuck you were with. Was it the waiter? It was the waiter, wasn’t it?” Seto growled, seeing Yami nod and shake his head miserably, attempting to twist out of his grasp.

He grabbed Yami by the shoulders, curling his fingers into Yami’s soft skin, his heart pounding painfully in his chest.  
  
What…why was Yami suddenly mute?  
Had he been…assaulted?  
Had he lost his virginity to a stranger?

“Talk!” Seto said angrily, giving Yami a vicious shake. “I know you can speak fluently, and I know you can understand me perfectly. Do you think I’m stupid?”

Yami felt all the strength leave his body as Seto held him tightly and he choked back his fear, wishing Seto would just hold him gently.  
He had just seen Lina murder a man!  
And he couldn’t talk about it, otherwise Seto would be implicated…!

“Please…just…hold me gently,” Yami mumbled, feeling numb, and he sensed Seto’s anger rising. He couldn’t tell Seto anything.

“Yeah, I’m not doing that,” Seto replied furiously, thinking Yami meant that he wanted to have sex. “Not until you tell me what the fuck you were doing.”

Yami reached his hands forwards and gripped Seto’s shirt tightly, feeling Seto tense under his touch, and he blinked, realizing tears were still sliding down his cheeks, and he brushed them away hastily, gazing up into his owner’s handsome face.

A sudden stroke of inspiration rushed through him and Yami gripped the fabric of Seto’s shirt tighter. Seto’s company specialized in technology, right?  
Then…would he have access to the ship’s security footage?!

 “I love you…Seto,” Yami said softly, and he saw Seto’s eyes narrow at him, his demeanor still incredibly hostile. “I would do anything for you.”

“Right,” Seto responded gruffly, reaching down to pry Yami’s hands off from his shirt, thinking he wanted to be left alone now. He was fed up with the crying and clinging.

“Would you do anything for me?” Yami pressed, gazing anxiously up at Seto, watching his owner turn away and storm out of the bathroom. No…wait…!

“Would you?” Yami demanded, watching Seto yank his tie off and throw it onto the couch carelessly.

“Shut up. I’m done talking to you for the rest of this trip,” Seto hissed, feeling his eyes burn with emotion. Yami had somehow made him feel extremely possessive and jealous throughout the entire dinner, and he was exhausted.  
If Yami had slept with the waiter, it didn’t matter.  
Nothing mattered.

“Something happened,” Yami continued desperately, knowing Seto was still listening, even thought he was pretending to ignore him. “I can’t say what, but I’m sure you’ll know soon enough. Your name was tied to it. I had to…. I had to…!”

Seto blinked and he whirled around to face Yami, fear rising steadily up inside him. “What? My name?”  
His name was fucking tied to everything!  
This was a company event organized in his name!

“I did everything I could…to keep your name away from it,” Yami repeated numbly, knowing he was being vague. “Now, I need you to do something without asking why. Can you do that?”

“Someone blackmail you again?” Seto asked hurriedly, feeling sweat pool in the palms of his hands. Maybe the waiter had pulled him aside to make a blackmail statement.

“Even worse,” Yami said shakily, folding his arms across his bare chest in a false show of confidence. “I need to know if you are doing business with a company named Naoko Inc.”

 _Where did he get that from?_ Seto thought fearfully, but he shook his head. That bitch Annabelle and her human trafficking father could burn in hell for all he cared.

“They gave me stock options as gifts, but I’ve refused them,” Seto said emptily, wondering if Yami could even understand him.

Yami tilted his head curiously. Seto had refused…something from them…good. But the footage still needed to be erased.

“Good, now please access the cameras,” Yami said steadily, feeling himself tremble. After this…Seto would be safe. Lina’s owner was seen entering this room. The authorities would come asking questions about it, and maybe even search this room.

“Why…” Seto asked slowly, his sense of unease rising higher and higher.

“Do you trust me?” Yami asked furiously, moving towards the couch and pulling out a fresh set of clothes from his bag, quickly getting dressed, feeling his skin burn as Seto’s gaze followed his movements.

“Not really,” Seto replied dryly, running his tongue along the underside of his teeth as he watched Yami drop his towel to slip on his underwear. “I think you were sneaking off with the waiter because you think I won’t give it to you.”

Yami froze, suddenly feeling like laughing and crying at the same time. Dirtying himself with the waiter? Hilarious.

“Do you love me?” Yami retaliated, gripping the back of the couch tightly, seeing Seto tense visibly.

“No,” Seto replied, feeling his stomach curl at this lie, and he watched Yami’s eyes widen. Shit…wait.  
Was this a fight?  
Wait…hold on….

“But what if I do?” Seto added hastily, seeing Yami waver dangerously on the spot, his eyes misty. Shit. Shit, wait….

“Then you’ll do what I’m asking, because you love me,” Yami said, feeling close to hysterics, but he forced himself to remain calm.

He held his breath, watching Seto blink once and nod slowly, moving to pick up his tablet from the glass table, and he sat down gracefully on the couch, crossing his long legs, tapping his fingers across the screen with practiced ease.

 _Th-That’s it?_ Yami thought incredulously, moving quickly to sit beside Seto, seeing a series of black squares popping up on the screen, and it all looked like a foreign language.

There were numbers, slashes and words, all panning down in neat lines, and Seto’s beautiful fingers were carefully tapping at the keyboard at the bottom, writing something…Yami couldn’t tell what.

Seto grit his teeth, his heart pounding angrily inside his chest as he mindlessly hacked the ship’s security feeds, thinking, of course he loved Yami.  
  
He was doing crazy shit right now, because Yami was asking him not to ask questions.

“And don’t look at it,” Yami whispered, feeling a strange headache throbbing in his temple. “You can’t look at any of it. Just get rid of it all, from the day we arrived.”

“I’ll do you one better,” Seto said coldly, hastily recalling a string of code from memory and he typed it in hastily. “This virus will fuck everything up. They won’t even be able to pinpoint when the cameras went down. Is that what you want?”

“Y-Yes…” Yami breathed, relief flooding him so completely, he felt cold all over.  
  
Then, was leading the waiter around all for nothing?  
No.  
Because if the feeds were somehow recovered, it would still cover his tracks.  
This was good! Amazing, even!  
Was this how you got away with being tied to a murder?!

“Done,” Seto said in monotone, shutting his tablet off and wiping the memory for good measure. He slid it onto the glass table and folded his hands in his lap, meeting Yami’s dark violet gaze.

“Thank you…Seto,” Yami choked, feeling tears building up behind his eyes again and he blinked them back. Seto…was so trusting, so loving…so understanding. This man didn’t deserve to be dragged through the dirt with Lina’s owner.

“Now, can you tell me where you went?” Seto pressed, digging his nails into the backs of his hands. He had just done something extremely illegal and incriminating! Could Yami tell him why he had to erase the feeds now?

“Only on the surface,” Yami replied awkwardly, realizing that he was still struggling to sound somewhat fluent.

“The surface…hurry up,” Seto repeated impatiently. He knew what Yami meant.

“I met with the girl, Lina,” Yami said carefully, and he saw Seto’s eyes widen. “And the waiter, you are not wrong about him too. He passed me a note from her. And that’s all I can say.”

“What do you mean I’m not wrong? Did you have sex with him?” Seto asked furiously, his heart sinking miserably. So, Yami had gone and fucked the waiter after all?! Maybe he should’ve reviewed the feeds before erasing them like a sappy fool.

“No, no I did not,” Yami said frantically, realizing that Seto was angry about his cleanliness. “I-I am still clean…I am.”  
Rahim was the one who had tried to dirty his hole.  
He had successfully shaken off the poor waiter in the hallway on the fifth floor.

“What were you doing on the fifth floor?” Seto asked spitefully, and Yami blinked, his heart stopping in his chest.

Lina was right.  
His bracelets _were_ chipped!  
  
“I was running away from the waiter on the fifth floor,” Yami said slowly, thinking that it wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either.

Seto blinked and nodded, satisfied with that answer. He had seen the way the GPS dots moved quickly down the hall.

“Why were you running away from him?” Seto pressed, his frustration rising as he saw Yami shake his head.

“I can’t tell you…I can’t tell you or you’ll get in trouble,” Yami said nervously, wringing his hands in front of him, staring down at the bracelets on his arm. Chipped like a dog…but only because Seto didn’t trust him….

“You don’t believe me?” Yami implored, leaning closer towards Seto on the couch, pressing his chest flush against Seto’s arm, seeing him hiss and lean away, glaring.  
  
Disappointed, Yami bit his tongue, seeing Seto stand gracefully and walk towards the bathroom.

“I don’t trust you,” Seto said quickly, shrugging off his blazer and throwing it over the back of the couch. “There’s a difference.”

“Right,” Yami said absently. _That’s why there’s a chip in my bracelet._

He watched as Seto grabbed several hangers from the large closet across the room and disappear down the hallway into the bathroom.

Seto wrinkled his nose as he caught a whiff of the lingering smell of vomit. He grabbed Yami’s suit and hung them up on the railing above the bathtub, carefully wringing out the pantlegs.

He frowned as the water came out slightly brown as it trailed down the white porcelain side of the bathtub. Seto grit his teeth, cursing Yami in his mind.  
  
Yami had purposely vomited over the clothes. Why didn’t he move his damn head?

Kneeling beside the tub, Seto switched the water on and doused the entire garment in shampoo again, vigorously scrubbing the fabric until the water ran clear. He pressed the material to his nose and took a light whiff, his nose stinging as he thought he smelled bathroom cleaner.

Maybe it was just the odd smell of the vomit mixed in with the scent of the exotic soaps.

Shaking his head wearily, Seto stripped himself and stepped into the shower, hating the fact that his mind was running wild with terrible scenarios as to why Yami had wanted him to erase the ship’s footage.  
Was it because he had fucked the waiter in a public place?

 _I need to shut up,_ Seto thought angrily, hastily rinsing himself and spraying the water around in the shower. This was the first time he had ever trusted someone other than Mokuba so blindly.

Yami climbed into bed and buried himself beneath the covers, thankful that the sheets still smelled like Seto. He shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, listening to the water shut off in the bathroom, willing his mind to go blank.

It was over.  
He had not forgotten anything.  
Cameras had been taken care of.  
The clothes and shoes had been soaked and washed.  
The knife…had been cleaned.  
…. The bag.  
  
The plastic bag that held his clothes needed to be thrown overboard!

It was littering but Yami didn’t care.

He threw the covers off himself and raced past Seto, who had just stepped out of the hallway, and he barreled into the bathroom, digging through the trash to find the plastic bag.

“What are you doing?” Seto asked irritably, and Yami clutched the bag fearfully, rushing to the balcony and dragging the door open with a huge effort. “Yami?!”

Ignoring his owner, Yami bunched the plastic up and hurled it down into the water, seeing the wind carry it away quickly and it disappeared into the night sky.

“What the fuck! Hey!” Seto called angrily, grabbing Yami by the arm and dragging him back inside the cabin. “Are you fucking littering? What the hell was that?”

“I have to!” Yami shouted back, unable to contain his rage and fear any more. “Just leave it alone, Kaiba!”

Seto released Yami, his heart pounding with shock as his name rung painfully in his ears. What now? Yami was now casually calling him by his surname?

“Just let me sleep. I want to forget!” Yami cried desperately, rushing to the bed and curling up beneath the covers.  
Tomorrow was going to be hell.  
Tomorrow night was going to be hell.  
The authorities would soon discover…the bodies.

Deeply confused, Seto followed Yami into the bed and lay down beside him, staring at the strange lump underneath the covers.

“Were you assaulted?” Seto asked quietly, his chest tightening with dread. “You can tell me.”

 _He thinks I was assaulted,_ Yami thought deliriously, feeling tears pool beneath his cheeks and soak into the pillow. _All he cares about is the cleanliness of my hole!_

“I’m not angry,” Seto said, choosing his next words carefully. “I just need to know you’re not hurt. I understand that you wanted to lose your virginity badly. Was it not what you expected?”

Yami blinked, feeling his cheeks burn. What? Seto wouldn’t hate him if he wasn’t pure?

He sat up quickly, gazing incredulously at Seto.

“You won’t hate me even if I was dirtied?” Yami said quickly, seeing Seto wear a pained expression, and he immediately regretted asking that question.

“Was that what happened?” Seto whispered, feeling his throat closing up with dread and disappointment. He would’ve thought Yami would put up more of a fight.

“That is _not_ what happened,” Yami replied viciously, gripping the covers so tightly, his knuckles hurt. “The only person who can touch me there, is you. Now shut up and let me sleep.”

Seto let his breath out in a deep sigh of relief as his heart skipped several beats. So if it wasn’t assault, then what was it?

Yami thunked his head down on the pillows again, hearing Seto sigh tiredly behind him, and he shut his eyes tightly, willing for sleep to come.

Seto inched himself lower beneath the covers and draped his arm warmly around Yami’s waist, feeling Yami tense and relax underneath his touch.

“When will you tell me?” Seto asked quietly, shutting his eyes and feeling his head spin with exhaustion.

“After we get off this ship,” Yami’s muffled reply came from beside him in the dark, and Seto nodded, satisfied with that answer, drifting off lightly.

Yami remained wide-awake, his heart thundering in his chest as he felt Seto’s arm grow heavier across his body. Sleep would not come.  
Lina’s blood-spattered face kept surfacing every time he closed his eyes.  
The dark stain on the beige carpet kept surfacing every time he closed his eyes.  
Lina’s owner would be looking for her right now.  
She would know that Lina was in Rahim’s room.  
  
It was only a matter of time now…. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

**Author’s note:**  
  
Thank you YLJE for editing this chapter. You have made it so much better to read! I am truly grateful for your friendship and advice!

And also,

**An Official Statement from UGLIFISH/PRETTIUGLI:**

Once upon a very recent time, Ugli made a friend on the internet, as one does, and Ugli thought that this person could be a very good friend for life, but instead, Ugli was betrayed.

 **This person used to be my editor** , and they went around tearing apart my friendships from behind (especially in the Yu-Gi-OH! PRIDESHIPPING community!!)

Suddenly, I didn’t know who to trust, or who to turn to. This person trapped me, even as I sat a free person behind my screen, forced to watch as they lied about me and my general behavior.

To the people who believed this person: I’m sorry I lost you as a friend.  
Or maybe not.  
I’ve wasted enough of my life thinking about this **poison**.

I’ve realized that, there’s a word for this behavior, and it’s called: **CYBERBULLYING.**

I didn’t know I could be a victim, as I don’t want to BE a victim, but this affected me A LOT in my REAL LIFE.

This went past screens and affected my personal well-being, as I’m sure that was exactly what that person wanted.

I’ll spare you the details, but (at the time of this posting) it (has) resulted in one call to a crisis hotline + two IRL police reports, because I feared for my own safety and the integrity of my name.  
  
Real information was disclosed. This is real.

I will use this time to say, right now:

DO NOT contact me about this person.  
(if you know who this person is, great. If you don’t, don’t worry about it.)  
  
DO NOT mention this person’s name to me in PMs, lest these texts become evidence.  
  
DO NOT engage with this person, if so, you do so at your own risk, and in doing so, you will also endanger yourself.

I don’t owe anyone other explanations, as this was an incident between ME AND HER.  
  
If you’re reading this and are thinking, “Hm, that’s not how it happened…”

THEN BOI, YOU GOT THE WRONG STORY. LEAVE ME ALONE, I AM BEGGING YOU.

Why have I been vague or withheld details?  
Cuz its none of your business and I don’t believe in hitting back with foul words.  
  
If you’ve heard more details about this situation **from the other person** , take a step back to wonder why that is, and consider who is sitting behind two police reports, crying.  
(ITS ME BTW…HIIII)

I have been harassed and slandered so much that I’ve lost days of sleep over this, and I refuse be the victim anymore.  
This person has twisted my words and my actions way too much, and it has gone way too far.  
This is my stance.  
I am not afraid to take action to defend my name and my safety (IRL!!!!ok?! this is serious fucking business! This could affect my REAL JOB in the future IRL?!?! It’s not la-la-la chatting over a screen anymore. THIS IS my REAL FUCKING LIFE.  
I AM SCARED  
I AM SCARED  
I AM SCARED!!!)

Thank you for listening. My hands are shaking as I’m writing this.  
This has been a hard lesson for me, and I’m not sure how to recover from this incident, given how many damn friends I lost (and hearing them accusing me of things I HAVEN’T DONE is scary and wrong). And I’ve literally given up on defending myself.

I just say “ok.” And then cry. As if that solves anything. I don’t know.

Thank you to anyone who has been understanding of my situation.

You know who you are, and I appreciate the emotional support.

To those of you firing non-stop questions at me in PMs, saying I did -this this- & -that that-, please. Just. Stop.

I am angry, hurt, deeply shaken, and VERY AFRAID.  
  
I’m just glad that after all this petty bullshit, I still have the will to live.

I will NOT be updating (eight-sided shape) until I feel better.  
  
I will NOT be updating (starving artist) until I feel better  
  
I need to re-adjust.  
Thank you for understanding.  
  
I will be back in two weeks. (hopefully)  
  
Thank you again, for your unending support and avid interest in the stories I pour my heart and soul into.

Signing off,  
  
UGLI


	25. Can you bring yourself to love

Seto could see sunlight streaming through his eyelids and he kept his eyes firmly shut, nuzzling into Yami’s warmth, inhaling deeply.

Did Yami want to fuck now?

He pressed his body flush up against Yami’s back, reaching around Yami’s body and giving his chest a slow, sensual rub, feeling Yami roll away and pin his hand down into the mattress.

“Hey…” Seto said softly, leaning his weight against Yami’s slender frame, feeling Yami tense.

Yami tried to calm his frantically beating heart. He hadn’t slept a wink and Seto’s hand running up his shirt indicated that his owner wanted to play, and Yami wasn’t in the mood for it.

“Stop,” Yami said darkly, and he felt Seto’s hand slowly slide off his body.

Disappointed, Seto sat up slowly as he realized Yami was still upset from last night. Fine. He would charm the pants off Yami to the best of his ability.

“What do you want to do today?” Seto asked lightly, giving the rolled-up lump beside him a gentle pat, and Yami felt a warm hand on his leg.

“Nothing. I want to stay in bed,” Yami replied miserably, pulling the covers higher up over his head.

Seto frowned and nodded, slipping his phone out from under his pillow, realizing it was past noon. He hastily dialed the number for room service and quickly ordered some food, wondering if he could lift Yami’s spirits with a game of chess.

Yami shut his eyes against the bright light, trying to feel less miserable.

He was more aware of everything now than he had ever been.  
He had heard the maid’s soft footsteps passing by their door in the hallway, followed by the quiet whir of the vacuum.   
He could feel the ship rocking gently on the waves.  
He could hear laughter drifting from the balcony above them.

“Want to play a game?” Seto asked lightly, tapping the projector icon on his phone and laying it flat on the bed. He gave the screen a few practiced swipes and a hologram of a chessboard hovered steadily above it.

This wasn’t solid vision, but it was better than nothing.

Yami shook his head and buried himself deeper in the covers, trying to quell his nausea. He felt a warm hand on his leg as Seto gave him a reassuring squeeze through the sheets.

“How about a…?” Seto asked worriedly, wondering if Yami could understand him. A massage might help calm him down.

 _A what?_ Yami thought moodily, not moving from his place on the bed.

“Or we could play….” Seto continued, thinking he could just list every activity that was available on this ship. Anything that peaked Yami’s interest. Anything to get him out of bed. Was he having a depression mood swing?

 _Play what?_ Yami wondered, beginning to grow frustrated. Why was Seto suddenly using words he had never heard of before?

“Okay,” Seto said anxiously, giving Yami’s leg another firm squeeze, feeling his chest tighten strangely. “You don’t want to play….and you don’t want to get a…. How about we go for a swim?”

 _Hell no,_ Yami thought, terrified, and his nausea came back tenfold.

Seto felt Yami’s leg tense beneath him and pressed on. “We could go shopping…again. Are you sure you don’t want to play chess?”

Yami shook his head underneath the covers, keeping his eyes tightly shut, feeling a slow, pounding headache coming on.

Seto gave Yami’s leg another reassuring squeeze. A soft knock sounded at the door and Seto felt Yami tense underneath the sheets again.

_“Service!”_

Sighing, Seto eased off the bed and pulled the door open carefully, trying to contain his shock when he saw that it was the waiter from the dinner Yami had run off with.  
  
He was standing behind the food cart, looking pale and frightened with his head bowed low, his gloved hands gripping the handle of the cart tightly.

The waiter moved to push the cart into the room, but Seto blocked his path, glaring angrily at the man.

“Leave,” Kaiba said coldly, seeing the waiter bob his head and hurry off without making eye contact.

Seto pulled the cart into the room and shut the door with an angry click, staring at Yami’s rolled-up lump on the bed.

“Your new friend came to visit,” Seto said spitefully, and he waited for Yami to react, but Yami remained motionless.

Gritting his teeth, Seto moved towards Yami and gave the covers a vicious poke. “Hey.”

Yami still didn’t move, and Seto gave the top of the sheets a gentle yank, surprised to see Yami had fallen asleep. His delicate brow was furrowed into a frown while his chest rose and fell with even breathing, and Seto swallowed his frustration as he draped the covers gently back over Yami’s shoulders.

Sighing, Seto sat down on the edge of the bed and palmed his face in his hands, his shoulders growing heavy. He snatched his tablet up from the nightstand. He would check his email to pass the time while he waited for Yami to wake up.

Several hours passed quickly, and Seto spied an orange strip of sunlight panning across the bottom of the sheets and he glanced up, realizing with a jolt that the sun was setting.

He reached over and gave Yami a gentle shake. There was a soft knock and Seto heard a familiar voice drifting from the doorway.

_“Kaiba-boy…!”_

Clenching his jaw in annoyance, Seto threw his tablet aside and strode angrily to the door, yanking it open to see Pegasus standing before him, looking pale and stricken.

“Let me in, Kaiba, we need to talk,” Pegasus said, his demeanor changing instantly.

“Leave,” Seto growled, moving to shut the door in Pegasus’s face, but Pegasus stuck his foot into the room, shouldering the door open gently, shaking his head insistently.

“This is important, and I can’t say it in the hallway,” Pegasus hissed, shoving Kaiba aside and striding purposefully into the room, sweeping his gaze over Yami’s sleeping form.

Seto shut the door quickly and leaned against it, his heart thudding frantically inside his chest as he tried to remain emotionless. What the hell did Pegasus want?!

“Where were you last night?” Pegasus asked in a low whisper, gazing fearfully at Yami, who was still fast asleep.

“None of your fucking business,” Kaiba replied coldly, folding his arms across his chest.

“Then tell me, where was _he_ last night?” Pegasus pressed, pointing a shaking finger at Yami’s rolled-up form underneath the sheets.

“With me,” Seto hissed, beginning to lose his temper. “Get to the point or get out.”

“Was he with you…all night?! He left the dinner early!” Pegasus said, sounding deeply frightened, and he was no longer whispering. “This is a matter of our safety, Kaiba! Be serious!”

Seto grit his teeth, feeling himself sweat. Pegasus’s behavior was making him feel uneasy.

“Yes, he was with me all night,” Seto lied, his pulse racing dreadfully.  
Something had happened.  
What had happened?  
Yami had asked him to erase the ship’s security footage.  
Was Pegasus’s strange behavior related to that?

“You don’t have to lie to me, Kaiba,” Pegasus growled, his hands stiff at his sides as he threw another fearful glance towards Yami. “Get your story straight, and I can protect you.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Seto answered angrily, knowing that Yami had definitely pissed someone off last night while he was running around the ship with the handsome waiter.

“That’s it then?” Pegasus asked, sounding exasperated. “You don’t know anything? That foreigner was with you all night?”

“Get out,” Seto hissed, leaning up and away from the door, advancing towards Pegasus. “Or tell me what the hell happened.”

“Judging by your tone, they haven’t paid you a visit yet,” Pegasus said coldly, planting his feet apart and folding his arms across his chest. “I came by to compare notes.”

Seto ground his teeth angrily, pointing at the door again, losing all interest in what Pegasus had to say. “Out.”

“The ship’s security is on high-alert,” Pegasus said calmly, his hands shaking at his sides as he clenched them into fists. “There was an incident in one of the VIP suites. Head Security will come knocking on your door any minute now, Kaiba. Be ready. And might I suggest…” Pegasus nodded stiffly at Yami on the bed. “…hiding him, while they’re in the room.”

“Why? What did he do?” Seto frowned, his anxiety rising higher and higher as Pegasus shook his head solemnly.

“I don’t know, and that’s all I can say to help you,” he said shakily, moving to the door and grabbing the golden handle with shaking fingers. “Kaiba…I know you’re involved. The cameras on this ship all malfunctioned without a trace. Who on this ship is capable of doing that?”

“What?” Kaiba blinked, his body growing numb.

“Good luck, Kaiba,” Pegasus said darkly, pulling the door open and ducking gracefully into the hallway.

Seto watched Pegasus hurry off, noticing that his usual leisurely gait was strangely frantic.

Feeling a slight headache coming on, Seto shut the door quickly and palmed his face, his shoulders growing heavy.

He walked over to the bed and sat down, trying to quell the rising unease that was threatening to swallow him whole. He laid down beside Yami and shut his eyes, willing himself to calm down.

Everything was fine. Whatever the hell Yami had done last night, they would work through it.  
He would ask Yami about it when he woke up.

* * *

Yami jerked awake. The room was pitch dark, and his clothes stuck uncomfortably to his skin with cold sweat.

He slid out of bed and walked slowly over to the balcony, easing the door open with shaky arms, shutting his eyes as the cold night air stung his cheeks. Taking deep breaths, Yami stepped towards the railing and bent over the edge, staring down into the endless pit of darkness below.

The air was strangely calm, but the sound of rushing water was echoing loudly around him, and Yami held his breath, wishing everything would disappear.  
The nightmare wasn’t over.  
He had woken up after a long bout of sleep and realized that nothing had changed. Lina and Rahim were still dead in their rooms….

“Yami, step down from there.”

Yami whipped his head around, his heart skipping frantic beats in his chest as he gazed at Seto standing behind him, looking tired but handsome as usual.

His pale skin was strangely illuminated by the white glow of the moon coming from above them, and Yami watched as Seto quietly stepped out onto the balcony and slid the door shut, his hand outstretched, offering to help him down from the railing.

Swallowing tightly, Yami reached for Seto’s hand and let his owner pull him forcefully down from the edge, his feet skidding on the smooth concrete as he was pulled into a tight embrace.

Yami grit his teeth, feeling a strange pressure building behind his eyes as Seto’s hand threaded through his hair and pressed his face tightly into his muscular chest.

He blinked, feeling his eyes water as tears threatened to spill out, and he forced himself to remain calm, taking deep breaths, letting Seto’s calming scent wash over him.

“Now, tell me what happened,” Seto said quickly, burying his nose deep into the mass of pointed spikes of Yami’s hair, feeling the tips gently poke his cheeks.

Yami blinked and tried to keep his voice steady as he spoke. “Nothing happened.”

There was a long silence, and Yami’s ears began to ring from the loud roaring of water coming from below them. Was Seto angry with him?

Seto released Yami slowly and leaned against the glass door, gazing into Yami’s delicate face, memorizing every detail, enjoying the way his skin glowed in the moonlight, taking in the way his spiky blonde bangs framed his face, and the way his jaw dipped down into a solid V.

Yami began to itch in his own skin as Seto’s gaze burned through him, and he looked away pointedly, moving to lean along the railing again, suppressing a shiver as a light wind blew past him.

“I’ll tell you anything you want, but I can’t tell you what happened,” Yami said slowly, nodding at the dark abyss beneath the railing.

He heard a soft shuffling and turned to stare at Seto, slightly shocked to see that he had slid down into a sitting position, gazing up at him with a slightly helpless expression.

“Okay,” Seto said, his mind humming with a thousand questions. He could start with the one he had been dying to ask since Yami had been brought to his mansion.  
  
“Where did you come from?”

Yami frowned, his heart pounding frantically as this question threw him off guard. He had expected Seto to skillfully ask around the situation to glean information that way, but apparently, his owner was more concerned about his personal life?!

“What do you mean?” Yami asked roughly, gripping the cold railing with stiff fingers.

“Where did you come from?” Seto repeated, crossing one leg over the other, fully aware that he was looking like a complete fool, sitting on the floor while Yami was standing, but he was too tired to care.

“You want to know what country?” Yami asked solemnly, and he held Seto’s stare firmly, steadily counting his own heartbeats.

He saw his owner shake his head and nod stiffly.

“Sure, whatever,” Seto said gruffly, feeling the wind gently ruffle his hair, and he grit his teeth, suppressing a shiver. “Your country, your family, your life before…this.” He pointed a slender finger down at the floor, his anxiety rising. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like what he was about to hear.

Yami sighed and shook his head, defeated. He carefully lowered himself into a seated position on the floor across from Seto and answered the questions as vaguely as he possibly could.

“My country? Egypt. My family? I have none that I know of, and my life before this? Terrible.”

“No family?” Seto echoed darkly, and he saw Yami shake his head angrily. “I don’t consider them my family.”

“Right,” Seto said emptily, watching Yami stretch his legs out, the pads of his tanned feet brushing against his ankles.

There was another long silence, and Seto stared at the bottoms of Yami’s feet, watching his toes curling in slightly from the cold. He took a deep breath, preparing to ask another question, but Yami spoke before him.

“You keep asking,” Yami said quietly, giving Seto’s calf a firm nudge. “So I’ll tell you.”

Seto blinked and nodded quietly, folding his hands in his lap to keep himself from reaching out to touch Yami’s feet, which were now draped warmly over his shins.

“I was caught stealing,” Yami grit his teeth as the memory of the rough burlap sack rubbing around his neck came back in a rush. “And now that I think about it, the merchants recognized me easily, and sent those men after me.”

“Men,” Seto repeated hollowly, seeing Yami nod, and he felt his stomach swoop nervously as he recalled the haunting blog entries he had read several months ago.

“And I’m glad…” Yami continued, his voice cracking uncharacteristically. He pressed his knuckles so hard into the concrete floor beneath him, it left painful indents across his skin. He was unable to finish his sentence as his emotions became overwhelming, and his eyes began heating up dangerously again.

“…I’m glad.” Yami repeated stupidly.  
He wanted to say so many things to his owner, but his throat was closing up painfully.  
He was thankful and immensely grateful for the second life he had been given.  
He was happier and more comfortable than he had ever been in his entire life…and he was deeply in love with Seto.

Seto frowned, confused. He stared intently at Yami, who had his head lowered so much his blonde bangs obscured his face.

“Come here,” Seto said tentatively, patting the spot beside him.

He saw Yami hesitate for a moment before slowly rising to his knees and inch towards him.

Seto panicked internally when Yami pressed his hands down against his thighs and straddled him tightly.

“I love you,” Yami said nervously, curling his fingers into Seto’s shoulders, feeling Seto tense wonderfully beneath him. “I’ll never leave your side.”

Seto nodded stiffly, his stomach tightening with a glorious feeling. Love? Real love? Or was this an admission of loyalty?

“Good,” Seto managed to say as he reached out to gently cup Yami’s cheek in his hand, and he marveled at how pale his skin looked against Yami’s skin. He felt Yami’s legs tighten around his thighs, and his heart rate increased tenfold.

Yami leaned forward and kissed Seto deeply, feeling him respond warmly by gently squeezing his arms, setting his skin on fire, and he leaned in closer, parting his mouth eagerly, melting as he felt the tip of Seto’s tongue slip past his lips and sensually lick the backs of his teeth.

Seto dug his fingers into the tops of Yami’s thighs, deeply aroused. He crept his hand up Yami’s leg, his mind buzzing with excitement. He kneaded the flesh along Yami’s inner thigh, his knuckles brushing against a clothed erection.

Seto felt Yami tense strangely under his touch, and Yami’s desperate expression from last night flashed through his consciousness.

Maybe…it was uncomfortable to do it out here on the balcony…in the cold.

Yami felt Seto pull away and he frowned, feeling his lips swell and throb at the sudden loss of contact.

“Inside,” Seto said hoarsely, biting his tongue painfully. He pushed Yami off his legs and stood fluidly, yanking the balcony door with a shaking hand, feeling Yami’s warm fingers closing around his wrist, and he grabbed Yami’s arm, pulling him into the cabin, leading him to the bed and throwing him down on it, hearing Yami gasp in the darkness.

Yami felt his head spin as his owner pushed him down strongly, a cold hand pressing down onto the center of his chest, knocking the wind out of him as his legs were forcefully nudged apart.

He twisted away frantically, his heart leaping into his throat as he realized Seto wanted to dirty him, and Yami couldn’t bear the thought of being dirtied while Lina and Rahim lay rotting in a room nearby.

“No!” Yami gasped, kicking out with all his strength, feeling his heel catch on Seto’s shoulder and he heard his owner curse loudly, and fear shot through his core like a hot knife. Why was Seto being so forceful now?!

Seto grimaced and eased off the bed, his shoulder throbbing at the place where Yami had kicked him. He strode angrily towards the light switch, punching it with his fist, his eyes heating up with frustration as a warm light flooded the room.

He whirled around, glaring at Yami who was sitting on the bed with his legs tucked underneath his body in a formal sitting position, his eyes wide with a strange expression. Fear?

“What is wrong with you?” Seto spat, curling his fists at his sides as deep disappointment swirled low in his stomach. Mood killed.

Yami opened his mouth to speak, his throat closing with anxiety as he scrambled for an explanation, knowing that Seto had every right to be angry with him.

Seto planted his feet firmly apart, his fury rising as Yami continued to stare silently at him, blinking his large, angular violet eyes, clearly at a loss for words.  
What the fucking hell?! Did he want to fuck or not?  
Why was Yami giving such mixed signals?

The silence grew colder and heavier before Yami finally found his voice and spoke.

“We can’t…” he said weakly, folding his hands in his lap, mentally recalling the way Isono had bowed apologetically to him on the floor of his room many months ago. He would assume the same position and hope that Seto would accept his apology.

Seto set his jaw, his blood rushing furiously in his ears. What?

“We can’t have sex?” Seto growled, advancing towards the bed, seeing Yami nod, looking stricken. “Why the hell not?”  
They had sex earlier! Why the sudden change?!

“It’s…” Yami blinked rapidly, unable to come up with a credible lie. He didn’t want to lie to Seto, but he needed to give a solid answer, one that Seto would accept.  
  
It’s dangerous? No, that wouldn’t work.

“You are seriously pissing me off,” Seto sighed, standing at the edge of the bed with his arms tightly crossed, glaring down at Yami, who was still sitting with his legs tucked underneath his body. “Stop that. Sit properly.”

“I’m apologizing,” Yami said desperately, curling his fingers over his knees as he saw Seto’s eyes widen slightly at the corners.  
This was the correct way to sit while apologizing!

“Yeah, apologize for being a fucking tease while you’re at it,” Seto hissed spitefully, feeling his body growing numb.  
Was this going to be a one-way street?  
Yami was apologizing for never wanting to spread his legs for him?  
This behavior was despicable!  
  
“You can put it in my hole all you want…after we get off this ship,” Yami said shakily, seeing Seto narrow his eyes at him, and his heart skipped several beats. Handsome. Why was it that even when his owner glared at him, he looked incredibly handsome?  
Seto would understand, right?  
  
Once Seto found out that Rahim and Lina’s bodies were rotting while he was dirtied for the first time, it would tarnish the memory!  
Seto wouldn’t want that, right?

“Right,” Seto seethed, thinking Yami was going to keep fending him off until the end of time. Would Yami then say he didn’t want to do it in the car? And then when they got back to the mansion, Yami would ask him to wait until everyone was asleep, but then say that he was too tired? Where would it end?!

“Give me one good reason why we can’t do anything now,” Seto said angrily, leaning down to press his palms onto the mattress, thinking he would climb atop of Yami and force his legs apart anyway. That would teach him a lesson.

“Because…” Yami grasped wildly at broken strings of thought for any reason that would make sense, but he couldn’t find one.  
Fine. Then he would make one up.  
  
“The ship is cursed!”

Seto blinked. Everything was steadily growing farther and farther away in his vision. What the actual fuck?

“That is hilarious,” Seto growled, climbing onto the bed on all fours, seeing Yami shaking his head frantically at him, but making no motion to get off the bed.

“It’s true!” Yami insisted, his heart sinking into his stomach as he stared intently into Seto’s face, trying not to enjoy the way his light brown bangs fell nicely over his clear blue eyes. This was bad…!

He edged nervously off the bed as Seto’s expression turned dark.

“You mind telling me why you believe in silly superstitions?” Seto asked, trying to keep the anger and sarcasm from showing in his voice. “Did you see a demon? A ghost? Get real, Yami.”

“There _are_ demons and ghosts!” Yami said cryptically. He briefly flashed back to Rahim’s bloodstained body laying motionless on the floor, and to Lina’s tearstained expression while she pointed the knife to her throat.  
This was the truth.  
One demon and one ghost.

Yami watched as Seto palmed his face and sat back on his heels, looking exasperated.

“Look, if you don’t want it, you can just say you don’t want it,” Seto said, his voice muffled from his hands pressing into his face. “You don’t have to make up bullshit excuses.”

“No, I want it,” Yami corrected him desperately, his anxiety rising. “I really do! But not here!”

Seto lowered his hands down into his lap and stared at the backs of his knuckles, listening to his heart beating steadily inside his chest, trying his best to understand.

“It needs to be special,” Yami said weakly, feeling his insides curl at this lie.  
It didn’t have to be special.  
He had wanted Seto to dirty him yesterday, the day before yesterday, at anytime, anywhere.  
The time or place didn’t matter!

To his great surprise, Yami saw Seto nod firmly and lift his head slowly, speaking softly. “I understand.”

“Really?” Yami asked doubtfully, seeing his owner move towards him with his arms outstretched.

“Yes, I get it,” Seto said reassuringly, grabbing Yami around the shoulders and pulling him into a tight embrace, pressing Yami’s face tightly into his chest.  
His heart was racing a thousand beats per minute and Seto forced himself to calm down.  
He had to remind himself that Yami was quite inexperienced.  
Yami wanted his first time to be memorable!  
It was painfully sweet.  
It was something he had forgotten in the whirlwind of one-night stands and casual sex-friends.

He leaned away and cupped Yami’s face in his hands, gazing deeply into Yami’s dark violet eyes, his stomach twisting with a strange feeling.

“We’ll make it memorable,” Seto said warmly, pressing his lips against Yami’s forehead, feeling his eyelashes flutter against his skin. “Whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want.” Yami echoed incredulously, his heart soaring as Seto’s lips sent electric tingles running down his spine. This was surely too good to be true! What did he do to deserve such a kind and handsome companion?!

He blinked rapidly, seeing Seto’s face shifting in and out as his vision began to blur with tears of relief and happiness.

Suddenly, they were kissing, slow, wonderful, sensual kisses. Yami held his breath as Seto gently sucked on his lower lip, smiling playfully, and this encouraged Yami to throw his arms around Seto’s neck, pulling him in closer, parting his mouth eagerly to deepen the kiss, drowning in his wonderful scent.

Yami leaned back into the pillows, breathless.  
Seto lay on top of him, smiling softly, his brown bangs handsomely framing his clear blue eyes.

“Where do you want to do it?” Seto asked seriously, closing his eyes and listening to Yami’s strong steady heartbeat pounding beneath his ear. Was this closeness?  
This felt warm and comforting. He had never felt this close to someone before.

“Anywhere,” Yami replied plainly, staring up at the ceiling, enjoying his owner’s weight on top of him. “Anywhere but here.” 

He shut his eyes tiredly, feeling himself drifting off.  
It was wonderfully warm and comfortable.  
Maybe, if Seto stayed like this on top of him, he could fall asleep peacefully, without nightmares about knives and murder.

Seto propped his chin up on Yami’s chest, enjoying the heat emanating from Yami’s body beneath him. “Anywhere, Yami. We could fly anywhere. Would you want to do it in another country? Do you want flower petals on the bed?” And Seto let out a dry laugh, feeling his chest ache strangely.  
Sappy shit.  
Yami liked that nonsense, right?  
  
If the matching rings and bracelets were anything to go by, it was safe to assume that a flowery de-flowering was probably something Yami wanted too.

Yami’s eyes shot open and he tensed, slowly stiffening with shock.  
Wh-What was his owner suggesting?! Being dirtied wasn’t a special event!  
Why was Seto treating it as such?

“I don’t want to be in another country,” Yami replied indignantly, thinking he would die from the stress of traveling. “In my bed, with no one around to interrupt, is all I ask.”

There was a long silence, and Yami shut his eyes again, letting Seto’s weight sink steadily into him from above. The ship rocked their cabin gently and Yami heard the soft rush of wind from just beyond the balcony doors.

“Not even your own country?” Seto asked softly, his stomach twisting with dread as he knew that Yami probably wanted to go home. “You want it in your own bed, in your own country?”

Yami clenched his jaw, shaking his head tightly. A kind offer, from his kind owner, but Seto was misunderstanding.

“I’m staying with you regardless of the country,” Yami said adamantly, laying a hand to rest gently atop of Seto’s head, and he threaded his fingers through his soft brown hair, marveling at how soft it was. “My bed is the one in the room connected to yours.”

Seto sighed quietly, feeling a strange mixture of relief and happiness wash over him. That was the best answer he could’ve received!  
That meant Yami really loved him, right?

He pressed his cheek down on Yami’s chest, felt Yami’s breathing evening out slowly, and he raised his head curiously.

“Hey, do you really like me?” Seto asked quietly, staring at the soft curves of Yami’s cheeks.

Yami didn’t move, and Seto frowned, realizing Yami had fallen asleep. Dismayed, he lowered his head back down onto Yami’s chest, feeling his eyes heating up with emotion as doubt clawed its way up his chest.  
  
In his past experiences, if things were too good to be true, they usually were.  
Trust wasn’t something that came easily, and Seto couldn’t help but wonder if Yami was lying to him about something.

Sighing tightly, Seto let the soft rising and falling of Yami’s chest lull him to sleep.

* * *

There was a loud pounding knock on the door and Yami pried his eyes open slowly, feeling Seto bolt upright beside him, shouting hoarsely. “Go away! We don’t need service!”

“We are not service!” a voice called from behind the door and ice shot through Yami’s core like a searing hot knife.

Police.

He bounded out of bed and raced towards the kitchen, ducking down low behind the counter. He would stay out of sight.

Seto rubbed his eyes tiredly, wondering why Yami was acting so skittish so damn early in the morning. He yelled angrily at the door again. “If you’re not service, then go away!”

“Mr. Kaiba, please open the door,” the male voice at the door said solemnly, and Seto palmed his face in frustration, sliding out of bed and striding across the room to yank the door open.

To his intense surprise, it was two uniformed police officers.

“What do you want?” Seto asked gruffly, tousling his hair roughly, attempting to look presentable.

The two uniformed men gave him a strange look and bowed. “May we come in?”

“Say what you have to say and then leave,” Seto hissed, thinking Yami was already spooked. Having these men come in would make it worse.

“We’d rather not discuss this in the hallway,” one of the officers said, looking pale, and his partner shook his head.

Seto frowned and nodded, pulling the door open and stepping aside to let the men file into the room.

He eyed them headily, watching the way they surveyed his room, clearly looking…for something.

Seto blinked, fear trickling through him as he wondered if they were looking for Yami.  
Was this what Pegasus had come to warn him about?

He shut the door quietly and watched as the two uniformed men seated themselves on the couch, gesturing for him to sit too.

Gritting his teeth, Seto complied, sinking into the leather, his stomach churning with nausea as the two men studied him closely…way too closely.

“We’re going door-to-door, because we didn’t want to announce the incident over the intercoms,” one of the officers said, and Yami held his breath, slowly sinking into a sitting position on the cold kitchen tiles, his worst fears confirmed.  
   
Police had come into the room to question Seto.

 _Incident?_ Seto thought faintly, his dread rising higher as the second officer spoke.

“We are also here to humbly ask for your help,” the officer on the right spoke softly, bowing forwards.  
  
Seto stared at the man’s blue armband and registered that this man was a chief officer of sorts.

“My help,” Seto repeated hollowly, seeing the other man nod and clasp his hands together tightly.

“Our camera feeds have been down, and we don’t know what caused it, or when it happened, but we are hoping with your expertise, we could recover some lost footage.” The lower ranking officer said, looking to his superior for help, and Seto jumped on this chance to ask what he had been itching to know since last night.

“What the fuck happened? Just say it.” Seto said rudely, and he watched as the two officers shared a look before one of them spoke. “W-Would it be better if we showed you?”

Seto nodded stiffly and watched as the chief officer slapped a manila envelope onto the coffee table and emptied the contents on the surface, making sure to keep all the photos facedown.  
  
Seto reached for them quickly and the officer stammered hastily, “Um…uh…please…with discretion…view it carefully. It’s…”

Kaiba ignored him and flipped the photos around, his world coming to a screeching halt as he gazed down on the bloody scenes depicted in each frame.  
  
Blood. Blood was everywhere.  
  
Lina’s beautiful face was splattered with blood as she leaned against a set of cabinets. Was this girl dead?! Had Yami murdered her?!

His hands shaking, Seto spread the photos out slowly, seeing a pair of slipper covered feet, lying in a pool of dried blood. The body had multiple stab wounds.  
  
In another photo, Rahim’s lifeless stare gazed up at him and Seto felt bile rising quickly in his throat. Oh…oh fuck.  
  
A double murder?! Was this real?! Had this been staged?!

The policemen were talking, but Seto didn’t catch a word they said. He was staring listlessly at the last photo which had a message written neatly in Yami’s rounded handwriting. The blood had dried dark brown against white kitchen tiles.

_“He killed me, and I killed him. Naoko Inc. is responsible for this mess.”_

“What happened…” Seto breathed, feeling as if everything was extremely far away. When the policemen answered him, their voices echoed painfully around in his head.

“Th-That’s what we are trying to figure out, Mr. Kaiba. The feeds have been down, and we think this was a professional hit, staged to be a murder suicide. Some patches of blood were doused with alcohol, and the girl…” the police officer looked to his partner for confirmation before speaking again. “The girl is an undocumented citizen. The man, as I’m sure you know, is a high-profile liaison, whom you’ve had a run-in with before…”

Seto blinked, Yami’s terrified face flashing through his mind from last night.

_“I did everything I could…to keep your name away from it! Your name was tied to it! I had to! I had to!”_

_Had to what? Commit murder?_ Seto seethed internally as fear threatened to consume him. Was Yami capable of murder? What’s more, the officers seemed to think it was a staged scene. Holy shit.

The officer was still speaking. “…Clearly, we are now looking at Naoko Incorporated, but the chairman and his daughter—”

“What do you think happened?” Kaiba asked coldly, cutting across the officer and he watched as the man paled and looked to his superior for help. The chief officer folded his arms solemnly across his chest and answered him carefully.

“I’ll tell you, but this is under the assumption that we have your help?”

“Yes,” Seto replied hastily, lying through his teeth. “I’ll try to restore the security feeds, but I can’t work miracles.”

The chief officer nodded and sighed heavily, looking down at the photos with an expression of deep pity. “We believe that there was a struggle as the girl was raped, and she killed the liaison. There are markings on her hands that indicate she stabbed him with great force before committing suicide.”

 _So, Yami didn’t kill anyone,_ Seto thought, relieved, but the officer wasn’t finished speaking.

“This incident would be open and shut, but it happened when the feeds were down, and alcohol was poured over a patch of blood on the bed, which suggests someone was trying to hide evidence. We have reason to believe there was a third person in the room.”

Yami bit his bottom lip so hard, his eyes watered. Damn. Damn! Maybe if he hadn’t poured the alcohol over the blood patch! But what if they found his suit fibers on the bed?!

“Maybe the girl did it,” Seto said aggressively, knowing full well that the third person was mostly likely Yami. “Or someone from Naoko Inc.”

“That’s the problem,” the officer replied seriously. “We can’t find any ties to Naoko Inc. other than the bloody message she wrote. The knife has gone missing. If the girl committed suicide, why would the knife go missing?”

 _Because Yami gave it to her!_ Seto realized as clarity washed over him in a sudden wave. Yami had taken the knife during dinner, and went to “the bathroom.”  
  
This was probably what had happened “in the bathroom.”

“You don’t need the murder weapon to declare the incident as it is,” Seto argued, feeling as if he was greatly overstepping his boundaries as an impartial third-party.

“We’re trying to see if Naoko Incorporated is really involved. And while everyone is on this ship for two more days, we will be watching and questioning everyone.” The officer said firmly, moving to stand.

 _Shit,_ Seto thought darkly, slowly getting to his feet, praying Yami would be smart enough to stay hidden. If the officers spotted him, they would immediately want to question him.

“We’re keeping this quiet, because if we were to return to shore at twice the speed, people would panic. Knowing a murder-suicide happened on-board would incite panic.” The officer repeated, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself he was doing the right thing.

“What happens if I can’t recover the feeds?” Seto asked steadily, knowing full well he wasn’t going to participate in this incident anymore. He would play the victim card and get Yami the hell off this ship. “What happens if this gets out to the media? This is a corporate event hosted in my name! Tell me what the hell I’m supposed to do!”

Yami blinked rapidly, feeling his heart skip several terrified beats in his chest. This entire ship’s event was hosted in Seto’s name?! Had he known that, he wouldn’t have given Lina a knife of any kind!

“We understand your concern, Mr. Kaiba,” the other officer squeaked, hurrying towards the door and throwing a nervous glance over his shoulder at his superior. “Our hope is that we resolve this incident before panic sets in!”

“I’m already panicking,” Seto said calmly. His mind was oddly clear.  
It was obvious that Yami had done his best to distance himself from the incident too. All that was left to do was to continue walking in the opposite direction.

Yami stared at his knees, his heart pounding steadily in his chest as he recognized Seto’s tone of voice. His owner was acting and lying again…but this time, it was to protect him!

“We understand, Mr. Kaiba,” the chief officer said quickly, bowing deeply and sweeping the photos off the glass coffee table in a hurry. Seto saw a stray photo float to the floor and he rushed forward to shake the chief officer’s hand, attempting to keep the man distracted.

He wrapped his fingers warmly over the back of man’s hand, making sure to keep his expression sympathetic as he gave the man’s hand another squeeze, seeing the officer’s eyes widen with shock and awe.

 “Thank you, Chief,” Seto said seriously, feeling a delirious laugh threatening to burst out of his chest as both men blinked incredulously at him. “I hope you’ll understand that I need to deboard immediately due to the nature of this incident, but you have my full support.”

“Yes, Mr.Kaiba, yes,” the officer mumbled, tucking the envelope under his arm and bowing stiffly again. “Your support is much appreciated. We’ll be in touch.”

Yami held his breath, unable to believe what he was hearing. Had his owner somehow charmed the officers into letting them leave the ship early even though they had explicitly said they were keeping everyone on board for questioning?!

There was the soft shuffling of footsteps and the door shut quietly as the men left the room, and a loud ringing silence followed.

Seto blinked rapidly, staring at his hand wrapped around the golden door handle, his mind racing. He could question Yami about this later when they were safely back at the mansion. Their priorities were now to get off the ship without being photographed or seen.

He strode over to the nightstand and snatched up his phone, hastily sending Isono a text before grabbing his tablet tossing it into his bag. He grabbed stray articles of clothing off from the edge of the bed and began methodically packing everything, not bothering to separate his stuff from Yami’s.  
Everything was going to the same place anyway.  
  
Seto bent down and made sure to pick up the stray photograph from under the coffee table, and he tucked it safely into his pocket.

Yami swallowed dryly, wondering if it was safe to come out. His owner was being eerily quiet, and there were a lot of odd rustling noises. Was he angry?

There was a faint buzzing echoing around the room and Yami heard Seto speak, sounding rushed. “Fifteen minutes? …. Yes. Have the guards wait in the elevator.”

Yami blinked rapidly, wondering what was happening. Was he in trouble or not? Was Seto in trouble? Why did they need guards?

“Yami!” Seto shouted hoarsely, stuffing the last articles of clothing into their bags and slinging it over his shoulder. “We’re leaving!”

Unable to believe his ears, Yami stood shakily and scanned the room, realizing that everything had been packed incredibly fast, and it seemed like they were getting off the ship…now!

“I’m sorry,” Yami said numbly, seeing Seto shake his head frantically and move to swing the door open, standing impatiently by the exit.  
Incredible! There were really leaving!

He hurried around the kitchen counter and skidded to a terrified halt when he realized his chlorine-soaked suit was still hanging in the bathroom.

Yami turned and disappeared down the hallway, reemerging with his suit, which was still on its hanger, and Seto wordlessly grabbed it out of Yami’s hands, flinging the hanger onto the ground and dropping to one knee, hastily unzipping his duffel bag to unceremoniously stuff it in.

Yami’s legs grew weak as he watched Seto move with precision, zipping the bag up again and throwing it over his shoulder, nodding silently and stepping out into the hallway.

Unnerved by all the silence, Yami forced himself to ask, “Are you in trouble?”

Seto curled his fingers tightly around the handle of the bags as he slowly turned to face Yami, who was gazing up at him with a wide-eyed expression, his lashes impossibly dark against his wonderfully deep complexion.

Somehow, Yami looked beautiful, even when he was deeply scared. 

“Did you do it?” Seto asked tersely, knowing the answer full well. Even if Yami did have something to do with it, he would line the walls of his office with the best lawyers in the country to clear his name.

“No!” Yami replied in a hushed whisper, feeling his cheeks burn under the intensity of Seto’s gaze.

“Then they can’t touch you, or me.” Seto said quickly, leaning down to press his lips tightly against Yami’s cheek, feeling his body heat up inadvertently.

Yami blinked, his stomach clenching and swooping wonderfully as his owner hurriedly kissed him softly on the cheek.

Not angry. Seto wasn’t angry.  
He was acting loving and understanding.  
How was this possible?!

“Come on,” Seto said darkly, grabbing Yami by the wrist and leading him out of the room and down the hallway. “Keep your head down, follow me closely, and don’t make eye contact.”

They stopped at the end of the hallway and the elevator door slid open slowly. The room was packed full of men in dark suits and Yami felt his terror rising.

He watched as Seto pushed his way into the elevator and disappeared behind the wall of men. A pale hand stuck out from between two elbows and Yami grabbed it hesitantly. He was pulled forwards forcefully and he found himself standing tightly beside Seto with no room to turn his body as the men pressed in around them from all sides.

The elevator traveled upwards for what seemed like an eternity, and as it came to a sudden stop, Yami felt his stomach drop to his feet, making him feel nauseous.

The doors opened, but Yami couldn’t see anything past the backs of the men, and he kept his head down as he was told, staring at his shoes, seeing them blur in his vision.

They walked across a carpeted room, and there were hushed whispers echoing around them.

_“Seto Kaiba…and his snooty entourage….”_

_“Wow, this is overkill. Imagine going to the bathroom like this every day.”_  
  
“Is that Mokuba?”

_“I don’t know! I can’t see…but my goodness, Kaiba is so handsome!”_

_“Being treated like this, Mokuba is going to grow up to be just like his older brother. What a pity.”_

Yami grit his teeth and stepped over a golden bevel, feeling the wind whip his hair around his face. Mokuba had an older brother?! Who was his older brother? There was no one else in the house…!  
  
Yami turned his gaze towards Seto with a strange feeling curling in his chest, studying him closely, seeing him with his head lowered so much, his brown bangs obscured his eyes.  
  
Was it Seto?!  
Seto and Mokuba were brothers?!

He looked away quickly, his stomach churning as they were ushered through another small door, which led down another narrow hallway.

They went up a series of concrete steps with yellow paint, and through another door, and suddenly, they were outside again, but this time, the wind was more violent and there was the loud clattering of a machine gun coming from above them.

Terrified, Yami stopped so suddenly, the circle of guards also paused around them, and Yami felt one of the men tread painfully on the back of his heel.

“I said don’t fucking stop!” Seto shouted over the roar of the helicopter, and he grabbed Yami’s arm, pulling him forwards.

Yami blinked, his eyes stinging and watering at the terrible combination of the bright sun coupled with sharp winds. He was grabbed under the arms and lifted upwards, and Yami was temporarily blinded by a white streak of chrome passing under his feet.

Startled, Yami glanced around frantically for Seto as green spots swam in his vision. The men climbed in to sit around them and a bulky pair of headphones were dropped into his lap.

Trying to gather his bearings, Yami slipped the headphones on snugly over his ears, thankful for a reprieve from the noise. Were they on a small plane?!  
No, judging by the noise, it was a private helicopter!

He realized with a jolt that Isono was sitting at the very front in the pilot’s seat as his streaks of gray hair were instantly recognizable from the back.

The guard to his left slammed the door shut and Yami jumped as a deep voice spoke too closely in his ears. _“All good, boss.”_

Shaking, Yami pressed the headphones tighter over his ears, seeing Seto nod and his voice also echoed from the headphones. _“Take off, Isono.”_

The whirring and roaring grew louder and Yami felt hot and uncomfortable as his stomach churned and dropped to his feet violently as they flew higher.

The men shifted tightly beside him. His leg was pressed too tightly up against Seto’s leg, and everyone was sitting too close together due to the small space in the cabin, and Yami felt his vision fading in and out as the helicopter dipped and made a sharp turn.

He glanced down at his knees, unable to stomach looking out the windshield in front of him, for fear he’d vomit and get even more sick.

A pale hand rested softly on his knee and gave him a reassuring squeeze, and Yami forced himself to breathe, staring at the slender curves of Seto’s knuckles, unable to tear his eyes away from the elegant silver ring sitting on his slender forefinger.

In all of the chaos, he had almost forgotten…!

Yami placed his hand over Seto’s much larger one and laced their fingers together, staring at his own matching ring. He lifted his head to meet Seto’s gaze, his heart thundering in his chest as he saw Seto smile dryly at him, as if to say, “This is shitty.”

Nodding weakly, Yami gave Seto’s hand a firm squeeze and felt Seto squeeze his hand in return as the cabin took a sharp dip downwards.

Yami tensed, watching as Isono circled a familiar building with a white roof, and Yami realized that the mansion was directly beneath them.

A strange pressure began building in his ears as they descended, and Yami shut his eyes, clenching his jaw uncomfortably, hating the feeling of his stomach flipping terribly.

Seto’s hand tightened around his knee and there was a solid jolt as the helicopter landed roughly. All the guards in the cabin shifted in unison, slowly rising to their feet and throwing the door open, causing the wind to come whipping in through the opening.

Yami gazed past the guard’s elbow, staring at the green expanse of grass beneath them, unable to believe that they had returned so quickly.

The guard held his hand out for him to grab, and Yami ignored it, leaping nimbly out of the helicopter and feeling his legs buckle the second his feet hit the ground.

Cursing himself internally with his knees stinging and his eyes watering, Yami slowly got to his feet and dusted himself off, berating himself for misjudging the distance from the door to the ground.

The whirring of the helicopter blades stopped and headphones were lifted off his head. Yami spun around nervously, seeing Seto handing the headset to the guards behind him, and something ran into his legs with a force so strong, it threatened to topple him over again.

“Seto!” Mokuba balked, clinging tightly onto Yami’s leg, and Yami felt his owner’s strong arm around his waist holding him steady as Mokuba hugged him fiercely with surprising force. “You came back early…! Did you get my mint choc--”

Yami tensed as he saw Mokuba choke on his words mid-sentence and pull away to stare at his shoes with a strange expression while the tips of his ears slowly began turning bright red.

“Let’s go back inside Mokuba, come on,” Seto said nervously, watching the men disperse around them to return to their posts surrounding the property.

He bent down on one knee and Mokuba edged nervously around Yami to run into his arms.

“I wasn’t looking,” Mokuba said lamely, and Seto nodded, giving his brother a warm hug in return.

“I don’t think he minds,” Seto said mildly, rising to his feet and catching a strange look panning across Yami’s face. They would talk later.  
  
Now that he was back home, he needed to purge his business accounts and connections, removing everything with Naoko Inc’s name on it before the news of the murder-suicide surfaced.

Yami watched as Mokuba threw him a nervous look over his shoulder as he walked away, holding tightly onto Seto’s hand.

“Coming?” Mokuba asked hesitantly, and Yami nodded hastily, and saw Isono’s shadow approach him from behind.

“A word, Yami,” Isono said seriously, keeping his jaw tightly clenched, hoping his anger didn’t show on his face.

Yami nodded again and he nervously followed Isono back into the house, his mind racing with frantic thoughts.  
Could he ask the manservant to burn the suit now?  
Would Isono do it without asking questions?

One of the guards had stayed behind, dutifully carrying their bags into the main sitting area and thunking them down onto the plush white couches.

“Stay,” Isono said, and Yami frowned, realizing he was speaking to the guard.

The guard nodded and planted his feet apart silently, becoming eerily still, and Yami’s unease began to rise higher and higher.

The front door swung shut with an echoing bang, and Yami held his breath, daring himself to feel relieved.  
  
Everything looked familiar now, and it was no longer overwhelming to be in this huge house.  
The crystal chandelier above his head was reassuring to see.  
The grand-staircase leading up to his room was reassuring to see.  
The large marble mantel above the elegant fireplace was comforting; even the white couches and silver end-tables were soothing to look at.

“Isono,” Yami began hurriedly, but his voice caught as he watched Isono slide a thick, white envelope out from his suit pocket and press it into his hands, bowing stiffly.

“For you,” Isono said coldly, keeping his gaze lowered respectfully. He would do this tactfully, and by the time Master Kaiba came downstairs, this foreigner would be gone.

Yami blinked rapidly and accepted the envelope with both hands, astounded to see a stack of bills sitting neatly inside. His heart stopped in his chest and the air slowly began to leave his lungs. What was this?! Money!

“Th-Thank you,” Yami choked, wondering how he should tell the manservant that he no longer planned on leaving. Should he also tell Isono about what happened on the ship? After all, Isono was the closest to Seto…and would do anything to protect him!

“It seems your bags have already been packed,” Isono said cleverly, nodding at the duffel bag on the couch. This was extremely convenient.

“Yes, but…” Yami paused, panicking slightly as he realized Isono thought he wanted to leave now. But he had just gotten back! He was looking forward to sleeping in Seto’s bed tonight!

“No excuses,” Isono said firmly, straightening up and communicating silently with the guard by giving him a stiff nod, seeing him nod in return. Throw the boy out if he refuses to leave on his own. “Have we come to an understanding?”

“Yes,” Yami said desperately, a terrible feeling curling his chest as he struggled to compose himself. “I have another request…and I have something to tell you!”

“What is it?” Isono sniffed, moving to the couch and grabbing Yami’s duffle bag by the handles, making it clear that he was going to help carry the bag to the front gates.

“There is a suit inside that bag,” Yami whispered, fearing that Seto would somehow hear them from upstairs. “Please burn it. There was blood on it. Another man’s blood. It could get the Master in trouble.”

Isono froze, his ears ringing with shock as he processed what Yami was saying. Blood? Had this foreigner gotten into a fight while he was on the ship? Was that why they had come back in such a frantic rush?

“Tell me why,” Isono said darkly, folding his arms and eyeing Yami headily, seeing the boy shuffle his feet nervously. “I’ll do everything you ask. You just have to tell me why.”

Yami hesitated for a moment, his mind racing frantically for a solution that didn’t involve telling Isono the truth, but he couldn’t find one. Maybe it was better that Isono knew the truth!

“A girl…stabbed a man…while I was in the room,” Yami said, feeling his body growing numb. Now that he was speaking about it, it made everything seem a lot more real.  
  
“His blood was everywhere, and he is a man that Seto knows! The girl and the man are both dead!”

Yami saw Isono pale suddenly and drop the handles of the bag, reaching shakily into his pocket to pull out his gloves, slipping them on slowly and carefully unzipping the bag.

Isono pulled out a wrinkled blazer, and the sharp smell of bathroom cleaner assaulted his senses. Repressing a gag, he pressed a gloved hand over his nose and mouth, addressing the guard on standby. “Get a plastic bag and hurry back.”

Yami watched as the guard walked away silently and he wrung his hands nervously as all of his worst fears came pouring out.

“I cleaned it up, but the police came and questioned Seto, asking him to restore camera feeds, which I asked him to erase! It’s all my fault! If I hadn’t asked him to erase the feeds, perhaps the authorities wouldn’t be as suspicious! But if I’m seen…I’m seen with him and they will know—”

“Stop talking. I understand,” Isono interrupted sharply. He had heard enough to know that Yami had gotten Kaiba more than involved with this mess, and Kaiba was currently upstairs in a conference call with his board of directors.

“So please burn it now,” Yami implored, bowing forwards so much that he felt the blood rush to his head. “And burn anything that has my handwriting.”

“Already done,” Isono replied shortly. He had destroyed all of the practice sheets out of sheer fury, and shoved all of Yami’s textbooks into the shelf in Mokuba’s room.  
  
The guard returned with the plastic bag, and Isono snatched it up hastily, stuffing the suit into it, spying a pair of dress shoes at the bottom of the bag covered by a stray pantleg.

“The shoes too!” Yami said, nodding forlornly, and he watched as Isono neatly tucked the shoes into the plastic bag as well.

“Now, you leave,” Isono said shakily, zipping the bag back up and handing it to Yami, pleased to see that it felt noticeably lighter. He saw Yami accept the bag with shaking hands, looking miserable.

“I don’t want to leave,” Yami whispered, feeling a terrible lump choking the voice out of his throat. Was it possible to stay? Where would he go?  
But…was it safe to stay beside Seto given the precarious situation?  
Could he come back?

“Think carefully,” Isono said quickly, ignoring the sudden rush of anger that bubbled up inside his chest. “Do you think you can stay here while you’re asking me to burn a suit with a man’s blood on it? You said the police had come by, and somehow, two people are dead!”

How horrible! He had been more than kind to this foreigner, and he had been repaid with blood on their hands. Kaiba should’ve listened to him when he first said that this boy was dangerous.

“Can I come back?” Yami asked boldly, feeling his tongue swell as a crushing weight began squeezing his heart so painfully, it was hard to draw his next breath.

“No, and you know why!” Isono replied harshly, folding his arms across his chest, trying to ignore the surge of guilt pooling low in his chest.

Deep down, he knew that Mokuba would be angry about Yami’s sudden disappearance, because the younger Kaiba considered Yami to be his friend, and friends were hard to come by…for both Kaibas.

“No contact,” he continued, seeing Yami’s head lower his head shamefully, and he ignored the rapid pounding of his own heart. “Even if you had nothing to do with it, the farther away you are, the better.”

 _I understand,_ Yami thought miserably as his bag grew heavier on his shoulder, causing his neck to ache. It was the smart thing to do.  
Leave now, before the authorities came knocking on the door.

“Can I say goodbye?” Yami whispered, staring at the tips of his shoes, feeling his eyes water painfully. No…he couldn’t cry now.

His absence while the authorities were here would protect Seto…and Mokuba.  
They were brothers…and Isono was like their father. It was a strange family, but it all made sense. He was trespassing on their lives.

“No,” Isono said firmly, an odd sinking feeling curling in his stomach, wondering why he was acting so cruel. It was better that the foreigner disappeared quietly from Seto and Mokuba’s lives.

Yami felt his mouth go dry and the room swam violently in his vision. That was a fair request, and Isono was denying it!

“I need my dictionary,” Yami said cleverly, trying not to let his despair overwhelm him.

Isono paused, fully aware that Yami was being deceptive. The boy was completely fluent, and was clearly looking for a way to enter the rooms upstairs…to say goodbye.

“You have five minutes to find your dictionary,” Isono said tightly, gritting his teeth. “I’ll be waiting at the front gates with your bag.”

Yami blinked and nodded, dropping his bag to the floor without hesitation and dashing up the grand staircase, his legs growing heavier with every step upwards.

This was the last time he would be in this beautiful house, with his kind owner.

This would be the last time he’d be walking up these stairs he had cursed so often.

He strode towards Mokaba’s room, knocking softly. “Mokuba?”

Isono sighed tightly and tossed the bag over his shoulder, hearing Yami’s voice echo from upstairs. So, the foreigner was saying goodbye to Mokuba first. Poor Mokuba was about to lose a friend.

Willing himself to feel nothing, Isono motioned for the guard to follow him out the front, and he left the doors wide open behind them.

Yami heard soft rustling coming from behind the door before Mokuba’s scruffy head poked out from behind it. “What.”

“Is my...” Yami swallowed tightly and blinked, feeling a hot tear curl down his cheek, and he brushed it away quickly, deeply mortified.  
He would not cry in front of this child! He would not let Mokuba think that anything was wrong!

Mokuba frowned and pulled Yami into his room by the arm, closing the door quietly behind them, pointing at his bookshelf, thinking Isono had bullied Yami into crying by hiding his books.

“He put them there,” Mokuba said dryly, rolling his eyes. He was so fed up with Isono and Yami’s subtle fighting. Did Seto know about this?

“…dictionary.” Yami managed through clenched teeth, and he saw Mokuba shrug.

“I didn’t see it here,” Mokuba replied, studying Yami’s face carefully, wondering why the foreigner looked so stiff. Did the helicopter ride scare him?

“I know it’s scary, but it’ll get less scary,” Mokuba continued, nodding knowingly, seeing Yami’s angular eyes widen at him. “But I’m learning how to fly one right now! Cool, right?”

“What?” Yami asked numbly, wondering what planet he was living on. Was Mokuba saying he could pilot a helicopter? For real, or in his imagination? The level of conversation with this child was so strange!

“Yeah!” Mokuba smiled, thinking he had impressed Yami so much that he had shocked him speechless. “I’ll bet Seto would let you fly one too if you asked!”

Blinking rapidly, Yami composed himself, reminding himself that he had limited time. He wasn’t here to speak casually about nonsensical things! He was here to say goodbye! And at the same time…he could confirm that Mokuba was indeed Seto’s younger brother.

“Your brother, Seto, would let me fly a helicopter,” Yami recited in monotone, seeing Mokuba nod once and grin brightly at him again. “Yep!”

_“Yep!”_

_“Yep!”_

Mokuba’s voice echoed oddly around in Yami’s head and he felt faint.

Mokuba was Seto’s brother.  
Mokuba was not a toy.  
Why did they look nothing alike?

“Your hair and eye color are different,” Yami said aggressively, his panic rising as he wondered if he had enough time to say goodbye to Seto.

“We’re brothers…” Mokuba frowned and his face twisted into an expression of deep confusion. “Why does our hair and eye color matter?”

Yami was taken aback by this reaction and he shook his head frantically, realizing he had accidentally struck a nerve. “It doesn’t! Just like how…we are brothers, aren’t we?”

“Y-Yeah…what?” Mokuba scratched his head and felt his face heating up strangely. Yami was being weird.

“I’m saying, you are like a younger brother to me,” Yami said in a rush, feeling his ears burn. He glanced down at his arms and hastily slid the bracelets off his wrist, setting them on Mokuba’s desk.

Mokuba felt himself blush deeper as he wondered why Yami was suddenly complimenting him and giving him presents.

“Please keep these safe for me,” Yami lied, hating himself as he saw Mokuba’s eyes widen curiously at the matching golden bracelets. “Put them in your desk, or hide them somewhere in the house where Isono won’t be able to find them. Move them every day if you have to.”

“Okay…” Mokuba said worriedly, shoving the bracelets into his desk drawer carelessly. Another stupid fight-thing with Isono. Whatever. He would tell Seto about it later.

There was an awkward silence, and Yami moved towards the door, wondering if it was out-of-line for him to hug the child.

“Where are you going?” Mokuba asked, rushing towards the TV and extracting the game controllers from the drawer beneath it. “I wanna play that level we were stuck on!”

Yami grit his teeth, his hand had almost reached the handle of the door knob, and he felt his eyes heating up dangerously again. He would hug the child, and Isono could kill him for it…if Isono could catch him.

“Yami—” Mokuba turned around and found himself being pulled into a crushing embrace. His chin rubbed against Yami’s shoulder and he winced, feeling Yami’s arms wrapping around his shoulders warmly.  
  
W-Weird! Did Yami miss him that much?  
The cruise probably sucked a lot!

“Okay, I missed you too,” Mokuba said gruffly, trying to shove Yami away, feeling Yami resist and the arms around his body tightened alarmingly, and Mokuba held his breath, his heart racing uncontrollably in his chest as he wondered what was happening.

“Take care of your brother, Mokuba,” Yami said quietly, choking back the sob that was threatening to wrench its way out of his body. “Make sure he eats and sleeps on time.”

“Yeah yeah get off me!” Mokuba squirmed away, watching Yami lean away and walk towards the door. Yami gave him a reassuring nod over his shoulder before swinging the door open and striding out into the hallway back into his room.

Blinking in confusion, Mokuba sat alone in the middle of the floor, staring at the controller in his lap, wondering why Yami had refused to play the game with him in such a weird way.

That was also the first time Yami had ever hugged him, and something felt off. Maybe it was because he had accidentally hugged Yami’s leg earlier.

Foreigners were weird.

Shrugging it off, Mokuba switched the TV on and waited for his game to load.

Yami stepped into his room and scanned everything carefully, thankful to see that Isono had cleaned everything up in a way that made it look unlived in.

At a glance, you couldn’t tell someone had slept here for a few months.

He walked towards his desk and pulled open all the drawers, sweeping up the spare change and the pin his owner had given him during their first month together, and he tucked them all into his pocket.

He was also relieved to see his dictionary sitting in the lowest drawer.

Yami sank to his knees, gripping it tightly, his heart thudding slowly in his chest.

After a moment, he grabbed a pen from the top drawer and flipped to the very back of the dictionary, hastily writing a message for Seto in Arabic.

_“Please think of me. I will think of you often.”_

He snapped the book shut and tucked it under his arm, cautiously approaching the connecting door, testing the door handle. To his surprise, it was unlocked, and he eased the door open quietly, seeing Seto standing at his desk, speaking rapidly on the phone, clearly buried in his work.

“Yes…sell them now. The sooner the better,” Seto hissed, jerking his head up to see Yami creeping in to his room, looking oddly timid. He shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips, drawing a line across his throat. _Make noise and I will kill you, I’m on the damn phone with important people._

Yami nodded stiffly, walking towards the nearest nightstand and edging it open. If he remembered correctly, this was the drawer with the photo of Seto and Mokuba. He felt around in the back and his fingers brushed against a hard metal edge.

He slipped the dictionary under the picture frame and shut the drawer quietly with Seto’s voice ringing in his ears.

“Good. Other employees who have had meetings with their representatives will be sent a non-disclosure document to sign…no one can comment to co-workers or to the media about any of this.”

Yami moved steadily towards the desk, seeing Seto’s eyes widen and then narrow into a hostile glare as he shook his head again, pointing at the phone and making the gesture for quiet.

 _Yes, I’ll be quiet_ , Yami thought forlornly, his stomach twisting with dread as he realized there was no way he could kiss Seto if he was going to keep talking on the phone. Would Isono be patient enough to wait until Seto finished his call? Then maybe…

There was a quiet beep as Seto hit mute, and he lowered the phone onto his desk, placing it on speakerphone.

_“…would definitely be a good idea…”_

“Can it wait?” Seto hissed, seeing Yami shake his head and rush towards him, pressing his warm lips across his own, kissing him deeply.

_“…So, we will all be signing a non-disclosure agreement after.…”_

Blinking in astonishment, Seto grit his teeth as he tried to shove Yami off, feeling Yami climbing nimbly on top of him, straddling his legs tightly, his tongue thudding insistently across the fronts of his teeth, demanding entrance. Holy f-fuck! No!

Yami’s hands gripped his hair tightly and Seto felt his head being jerked back forcefully as Yami strongly held him in place, apparently refusing to let up until his tongue entered his mouth.

Giving in momentarily, Seto unclenched his jaw and let Yami slide his tongue thickly into his mouth, causing his heart to swell wonderfully as Yami kissed him lovingly. Seto tried to keep his eyes open as Yami continued to press his lips tightly over his, alternating between sucking gently on his lower lip and shoving his tongue fully into his mouth, almost choking the air out of him as he did so.

_“…isn’t that right, Mr. Kaiba?”_

Seto gave Yami’s hip a few frantic pats. Yes, yes, get off me now, fucking please.

Yami cupped his owner’s face tightly, forcefully grinding his hips downwards, thinking that maybe he could get away with staying in this room and never leaving.  
He could sit on Seto’s dick while he was on the phone! Anything was possible if he tried hard enough!

_“Mr. Kaiba? …Is your connection poor, Mr. Kaiba?”_

Yami felt a sharp pain sting his bottom lip and he tasted blood in his mouth as he was shoved away forcefully, sending a set of pens clattering across the desk and onto the floor.

“Yes, I hear you,” Seto gasped, simultaneously tapping the speakerphone button and untangling himself from Yami.

_“Good, so now, we can address the issue of…”_

He hit mute again and rounded on Yami, biting back his fury when he realized Yami’s cheeks were wet with tears. What the fuck! Of all the times to be fucking needy as hell…!

“I’m leaving now, I’ll go!” Yami said tearfully, reaching out to touch Seto’s hand, seeing his owner hiss and jerk his arm back angrily.

“Time and place!” Seto seethed, hearing his name echoing from the phone again but he ignored it. Yami needed to know that he couldn’t just come in whenever he wanted to fuck. “I know you’re not stupid. Get the hell out.”

_“Mr. Kaiba? Do you agree? To repeat….”_

Seto hit unmute and growled at his phone, “I agree,” and he pointed furiously at the connecting door, seeing Yami bow deeply and very formally, keeping his hands tucked in front of him.  
Fucking selfish wierdo.

He glared at Yami’s slender shoulders, his heart thundering in his chest, watching as Yami slowly walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Yami grit his teeth and brushed the back of his hand across his lips, feeling them swell, hating the salty mix of tears and blood in his mouth. Worst goodbye kiss ever.

He caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror, startled to see that his bottom lip had become slightly swollen, and he panicked, rushing into the bathroom to wash his face.

He couldn’t confront Isono like this. He needed to be presentable.

Yami hastily dried his face and walked out into the hallway, passing by Mokuba’s room, hearing loud clings and explosions coming from his game. He paused to stare at Mokuba one last time, memorizing the way the child sat cross-legged, facing the TV, cackling to himself as his character exploded on the screen.

He shook his head sadly and turned to walk down the stairs, unsurprised to see the guard standing at the bottom, waiting for him.

“You were taking too long,” the man said gruffly, and Yami ignored him, walking right past him and out the front door, blinking in the harsh sunlight, heading towards Isono, who was waiting obediently by the front gates.

 _Look at me, Lina,_ Yami thought spitefully, striding across the white concrete. _I’m being escorted to freedom by my owner’s manservant and guards. You died for a good cause._

Isono pressed his finger against the scanner, noticing that Yami was not holding his dictionary. His eyes were swollen and his lower lip was bleeding, looking as if he had been hit across the face. The older Kaiba was probably responsible for that, and the younger Kaiba had probably made Yami cry.

“Please be well,” Isono said carefully, handing Yami his bag and seeing Yami accept it with both hands, bowing deeply, his slender shoulders shaking slightly.

“Thank you for your guidance, Isono,” Yami said quietly, feeling his eyes sting with tears again. Damn. Damn everything.

“You’re welcome,” Isono said stiffly, bowing in return. He straightened up and nodded at the guard. “This man here will escort you past the edge of the property. It goes without saying that you should stay away from all reporters and journalists.”

“I will do that,” Yami said deeply, blinking back tears. “I appreciate your kindness and generosity. I will not speak of my time here. I will treasure it quietly.”

Isono nodded, slightly touched by Yami’s sudden eloquence.

“The Kaiba family appreciates your discretion,” Isono said robotically, wondering how he was suddenly speaking to this foreigner like a complete stranger, when only a few weeks ago, they were cooking meals and airing out futons together. It was strange indeed. 

Yami slung the bag over his shoulder and stepped past the gate, feeling the guard follow him closely at his heels. He stared at the gate’s spiky shadow passing by his feet, wondering why at one point upon his arrival, he had tried to climb these bars, thinking that this beautiful house would be his prison.

Instead, this house had become his home. The maids and servants had provided everything he needed, and the Master had become his doting lover, while Mokuba had felt like a genuine younger brother.

Life worked in strange ways.

And now, he was walking away to live his own life.

* * *

**Author’s note:**  
  
Hello, im back after a little break. My heart was being squeezed as I wrote this chapter. Thank you for your continued interest in this story.  
I will still be updating this story every week!

Leave a comment! I love hearing your thoughts!!  
  
Many warm thanks to YLJE for editing this chapter!

Hugs,  
UGLI


	26. this monster inside of me?

Yami shifted the bag on his shoulder and threw one last look at the mansion behind him. It had become a tiny white dot in the distance and his heels were already hurting.

Judging the distance by sight alone, it felt like he had walked at least one kilometer!

He was now standing on the sidewalk facing a street that looked empty both ways, and Yami frowned, his nervousness rising.

There was nothing for him out here! Where in Japan would he go when the place he wanted to stay was here?!

He turned around to speak to the guard, startled to see that the man had already begun to walk away silently, and Yami called out to him anxiously. “Which way to the main road?”

“Either way!” Came the reply, and Yami clenched his fist at his side, annoyed.

“Which way is closer?” Yami shouted, seeing the man point to the left without turning around, and Yami cursed the man in his mind, swallowing his fear as he turned a heel and set off in that direction.

A light wind picked up and Yami shivered, wondering why the sun wasn’t warming his back the way it usually did. His bag was growing heavy on his shoulder and he shifted it to his other side, gazing up at the sky as he continued to walk, noticing a stack of gray clouds in the distance.

His stomach curled strangely as the wind caused goosebumps to rise along his arms.

It had been many months since he had had to study the sky like this, but if he wasn’t mistaken, those gloomy clouds looked like incoming rain. Perhaps it would come tomorrow, or the day after. Would it better that he went the other way then?

Damn. Curse that useless bodyguard.

Yami turned around and began walking back the other way, hating himself. It was a longer walk to the main road, but to avoid rain, he would do it…especially since he had nowhere to go.

After a while, Yami passed the small inlet road leading towards the mansion and he gripped the strap of his bag tighter as he willed himself not to feel anything.

He kept walking, keeping his head lowered, staring at his own shadow panning across the ground. Now, he needed to remember what it was like, living every day on the edge, living every day without knowing what tomorrow held in store.

A stray car passed by and Yami glanced up, startled. A taxi?

He whipped his head around hopefully, seeing chrome plates gleaming back at him in the distance as the car quickly disappeared down the long stretch of road. Not a taxi, but it was the first car he had seen in a long while.

Yami shifted the bag to his other shoulder and began to wonder just how far away his owner lived from civilization.

The road dipped down and Yami let out a relieved sigh as he saw more cars at an intersection at the bottom of the hill.

He quickened his pace and spied a bright yellow car stopping at the light, and he began to run, tightening the bag over his back as he wondered if he could catch the attention of the taxi. His feet ached. It had been a while since he had walked this far and this long. Being with Seto really had made him soft.

The light changed, and the yellow car sped off down the road, leaving Yami panting and frustrated as he skidded to a halt at the intersection. Damn…. Damn it all.

Biting back tears of anger, Yami resolved to follow the road down which the taxi had come. All taxis went somewhere populated with people.

Shifting the bag on his back again, Yami set off down the road, realizing that he was walking along some sort of highway. Cars were whizzing by incredibly fast, causing his ears to ring, and Yami grit his teeth, trying to ignore the loud pounding of his heart.

If he was this frightened by cars driving by, how would he survive in the city? And he had only been in the city once, briefly.

Two loud blips echoed behind him, and Yami whipped around tensely, seeing flashing red and white lights on a black car with dark windows.

Oh, heaven was cruel. Police?!

The car slid to a slow stop beside him and Yami ducked his head down, his eyes heating up terribly as he reminded himself that he couldn’t divulge any information to the authorities.  
  
If they sent him back overseas, would he ever see Seto again?  
Would Seto come to find him?  
  
Would he be banned from entering the country of Japan, because he had stayed for so long as an illegal citizen?  
  
And what’s more, he had witnessed a murder!  
The authorities were definitely not his friend!  
The nameless boy’s advice was now useless, and Lina’s advice was relevant.

Blend in. Lie.

“Excuse me, young man!” A light female voice rang out behind him and Yami slowed his pace, wondering how hostile he ought to be. “Excuse me! Do you understand Japanese? Are you lost? Walking on the highway is not safe!”

 _Ah_ , Yami thought darkly, slowly stopping and throwing a blank look over his shoulder, keeping his eyes wide, seeing a female officer nodding politely at him, inching the car steadily behind him.

“A little…” Yami said weakly, giving her a warm smile, pointing at the road ahead, his heart skipping nervous beats in his chest. He could see Seto’s skyscraper from here. The city was that way! Why couldn’t this officer leave him alone?!

“Where are you going? Are you lost?” the woman pressed and Yami stood still, blinking slowly, wondering if he could use this police officer as a makeshift taxi.

“Train…?” Yami asked, nodding and pointing at the road behind him, making a motion to walk back the other way, pleased to see the woman panic and shake her head frantically.

“No, no! Train is that way!” She said, pointing towards Kaiba’s skyscraper, and Yami tilted his head slightly, furrowing his brow, pretending to be confused. Would this do the trick?

He watched as she got out of the car and opened the passenger door, pointing into it, speaking slowly, making slow gestures. “Sit…we go….to train. No walking…!”

“Ah!” Yami said, smiling widely, “Thank you!”

He stepped past the woman and ducked his head down politely, shifting his bag onto his lap and easing himself into the seat, watching the woman nod nervously and shut the door for him.

Now, his anxiety was at an all-time high. There was a camera facing him directly, sitting on the dashboard of the car, and Yami was regretting this action very much, but it was already too late.

The woman got into the driver’s seat and slammed her door shut, easing the car silently back onto the road, and they sped off towards the city.

Curling his fingers into his palms, Yami tried to keep his expression neutral. He knew fear showed on his face easily, and he didn’t want to let the officer think that anything was wrong.

“What’s your name?” the woman asked after a long moment, and Yami shook his head, replying. “Not hungry, thank you.”

The woman tried to hide her shock, and Yami watched as her hands tightened over the wheel. “Do you have a passport? Are you on the way to the embassy?”

Yami blinked rapidly, his terror threatening to overwhelm him. No! He didn’t have any documents! Could he stall this woman’s questions until she let him out of the car? But what if she wouldn’t let him go after finding out he was an undocumented citizen?!

“Ah…I…” Yami started, counting his heartbeats as the car stopped at a light and people began crossing at the intersection. He glanced down at the door handle, staring at the lock. Was it locked or unlocked? He had no idea!

He smiled brightly at the officer, trying to catch a glimpse of her door, but her arm was blocking the way.  
Damn.  
He had no way of knowing.  
Maybe he should just run now.

The car inched forward slowly as the light turned green and Yami cursed himself, thinking he was rusty.

Back in his country, he could duck, evade, trick, lie and steal from anyone he wanted. Why was it so hard now?!  
Being with Seto had really affected him.

“Do you need…. embassy?” the woman asked slowly, this time in English, and Yami narrowed his eyes at the camera on her dashboard. Being caught on camera meant nothing if they couldn’t catch him physically. The next time the car stopped, he would run.

“No, thank you,” Yami said genially, pointing at a random building and exclaiming, “Wow, tall!”

“Y-Yes…” The woman replied uncertainly, throwing him a sideways glance, and Yami held her gaze, smiling brightly again, speaking fluently. “Where is the train?”

He slowly slid his hand down to his side, his thumb resting on the seatbelt release button while creeping his other hand upwards to the door handle, thankful that the bag was hiding his hand from sight.  
  
They were approaching another intersection with people.  
More people, which meant more camouflage. Time to run.

“The…train is nearby,” the woman answered, nodding at the road. “I’ll pull over, and—”

The car rolled to a gentle stop and Yami grabbed this chance to stab at the seatbelt button.  
  
The belt whizzed off from around his body and his fingers slipped over the lock. He frantically pried it open, shouldering the door aside, being careful not to swing it out too wide as he slipped out, hearing her gasp just as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Disappear.

Yami adjusted the bag tighter over his shoulder and dashed between a few unmoving cars, leaping onto the sidewalk and nimbly avoiding hitting a man walking by with a briefcase.

He melted into the crowd crossing the intersection, making sure to duck behind three women who were walking arm-in-arm.

He used them as cover as he heard the police siren make a few blips, causing the crowd to pause and stare.

His heart pounding, Yami stopped in his steps too, glancing around, also pretending to be irritated and confused as he followed the women safely to the other side of the street.

He threw a nervous glance over his shoulder, seeing the officer standing beside her car, looking confused as she scanned the crowd.

Yami saw her reach for the radio at her hip and he hissed in frustration, spying another officer standing at another corner, also talking into his radio, and he grit his teeth, ducking behind a young couple who was silently walking hand-in-hand.

Damn, he really stood out.  
Lina wasn’t wrong when she said he stood out easily.

Where could he go? Where could he hide? That officer was probably radioing her co-workers, alerting them about a lost foreigner who was going to the trains, in need of the embassy.

That meant he couldn’t go to the trains right now, lest he be found and caught!

Taxi.

He held his breath, passing by the officer, praying that the man wouldn’t see him.

“Excuse me, young man!”

Yami felt himself break out into a cold sweat and he continued walking, hearing footsteps approaching him quickly from behind. No…no….

There was a firm tap on his shoulder and the stern voice rang out behind him again.

“Young man, are you searching for the embassy?”

Yami whirled around, trying to contain his rage and terror as he bowed deeply, staring at the tips of the officer’s shiny shoes.

“I’m sorry to have caused an issue,” Yami said hurriedly, keeping himself bowed forwards, hearing the man make a strange startled noise above him. “Please excuse me. I’m late meeting a friend at the airport! I have his things!”

Yami straightened up and pointed at the bag over his shoulder, nodding firmly, pleased to see the shocked expression painted across the officer’s face. “Thank you for your concern! His flight leaves in thirty minutes! I’m late!”

He saw the man open and close his mouth like a gaping fish before he turned away and hurried off.

Yami bit back tears of frustration as he followed the crowd down a long series of steps and suddenly found himself in an underground tunnel.

The hustle and bustle was immense, and people were jostling him left and right, occasionally bumping in to his bag. Tensing in annoyance, Yami tucked his bag in front of him, hating everything.  
This bag was bulky and attracted attention.  
He needed to get rid of it!

He pushed steadily through the crowd, wondering if he could exit out through the other end of the tunnel. That was considerably hard, given how everyone was walking one way, and he was walking the other.

Yami craned his neck, struggling to see over the sea of black hair, and he spied large billboards covering every inch of the walls, flashing bright messages and colorful images.

His heart stopped in his chest when he saw Seto’s face staring back at him on one of the advertisements, and he floated towards it magnetically, causing the people walking by to duck around him, hissing and tsking in annoyance.

 _“Always connected, Kaiba Corp-Connected!”_ the bright white text read, set against a black background as Seto’s face smirked confidently on the far left, holding a phone up to his ear while floating images of household appliances flashed in a colorful bubble on the right.

A refrigerator. A personal computer. A bed. An air conditioner? 

Yami stared at the ad, wonderstruck as the images kept flipping through in succession beside Seto’s face, and he forced himself to look away, his heart pounding painfully in his chest.

He glanced at the sign again, catching a line of tiny text floating across the bottom of the screen.

_“Patent pending. All trademarks and copyrights belong exclusively to the creator, Seto Kaiba.”_

_Creator?_ Yami blinked, astounded. Seto made these things?! He wasn’t just a pretty face, but the creator?!

Feeling deeply alienated, Yami pulled his bag higher up on his chest and continued glumly through the crowd, feeling tiredness settle on his shoulders.  
He couldn’t match up to Seto.  
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more idiotic he felt.

Seto had built a solid life for himself and Mokuba, hiring tight security and loyal servants while he sat behind his desk and made things that improved the lives of the people around him. The money he made was entirely his because he was listed as the creator.

Of course beautiful men and women would fall at his feet wherever he went.  
  
He was extremely smart, incredibly handsome, impossibly wealthy…where was the flaw?

 _He’s a good lover too_ , Yami thought painfully, trudging up the steps of the tunnel, slightly relieved to see that this side was empty. All the people were gone.

The sun was setting and the cool air whipped his hair around his face as the chilly wind began to pick up.

Yami glanced up at the tall glass buildings surrounding him, unable to appreciate their beauty. He could see specks of yellow lights coming from within, and he spied another billboard with Seto’s name on it.

This time, it was an ad for a children’s toy.  
It was a keychain, and the short video showed a woman hooking the brightly colored sun-shaped plush onto her child’s backpack, giving the girl a soft hug before sending her out the door with her friends.

Yami stepped closer against the wall and continued to watch as the woman closed the door and slipped her cell phone out of her pocket, using a cleanly manicured finger to tap on an app with Seto’s logo.

A small map appeared with a tiny, blinking red dot, and bright yellow text flashed across the screen happily: _“Rin-chan got to school safely at 7:35AM!”_ and the ad ended with crayon drawings displaying a wide selection of keychain plushes, some in the shape of cute animals, others in the shape of fluffy stationary.

Amazed, Yami shook his head and continued walking down the sidewalk, turning the corner and choosing to go down a quieter street, his panic rising as he realized the sun had set completely and the sky was quickly darkening.

Where could he go? A hotel? A hostel?  
No, he couldn’t.  
All of those places required identification.

Lina’s shrill voice floated in his consciousness and Yami winced, slowly keeping close to the wall as he tried to push her out of his mind.

_“Use your hole for god’s sake…! How do you expect to find a boyfriend or girlfriend off the street if you don’t?”_

Yami grit his teeth and willed himself to keep his head clear.

He had never needed to use his hole back in his country, and he had lived just fine. He had the envelope of cash which Isono had given him.  
Using his hole was not necessary.

Yami vowed to himself in that moment that his hole would remain clean for Seto, or it would stay clean until the end of time.

He turned down another quiet street and heard rambunctious laughter coming from a glowing doorway.

The smell of beer was heavy in the air while several men loitered around the edge of the sidewalk, leaning against their motorbikes, smoking.

Fear gripped Yami’s being as he turned on his heel and went back the way he came.

If he didn’t know any better, they looked like gangsters.

He heard one of them call out to him from afar. “Hey! A wild Yugi appeared!”

Run.

Yami tensed and sprinted down the rest of the street, turning left after few blocks and ducking down another deserted alleyway beside a large dumpster, panting and heaving as his chest constricted with pain as he gasped for breath.  
  
Damn…! It had been a while since he had run too! Living with Seto had made him fat and weak. Worst of all, this bag was heavy and attracted attention, but all the shops were closed. He would have to wait until morning.

The most pressing problem was where he would sleep for tonight!

Forcing himself to calm down, Yami straightened up and ignored the terrible pounding of his heart in his throat as he set off down the alleyway, stopping in his tracks as a group of finely dressed businessmen brushed past him at the mouth of the alleyway.

Yami watched them curiously, seeing the men gripping each other by the neck and he saw one of the men at the edge of the group lean forward to kiss his companion on the mouth.

He saw the man smile and butt his head playfully against his partner’s forehead, and Yami felt his spirits rise. Men…who liked other men. He would follow them.

He fell quietly into step behind the group, listening intently to their conversation.

“Man…I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement…but I’ll talk once I’m drunk!” the man in the middle said, and the group instantly became quiet and solemn.

“You were on a ship with rich people, who deboarded one day early. It must have been a bad emergency,” another man said knowingly, throwing his leather briefcase over his shoulder, and Yami stared intensely at it, feeling his body heat up uncomfortably at the mention of the ship.

“Just tell us what happened,” the man at the edge of the group said as they turned another corner, and Yami kept his distance, glad to discover that he could still easily hear them from a few paces away.

“An entire Kaiba Corporation event! There must be some juicy drama there!”

“Did you see any hot ass?”

Laughter echoed around the group and Yami gripped the handle of his bag tighter.

“Seto Kaiba in person was pretty intimidating. He had an attractive foreigner with him. Everyone in the back wouldn’t shut up about him.”

Yami froze, rooted to the spot with shock. No…. Impossible!

“What did he look like?” the man at the edge of the group asked keenly, leaning in excitedly, and Yami stood very still, watching as the group walked farther and farther away.

“Damn sexy,” the man in the middle crowed loudly, throwing his head back and laughing heartily. “If Seto Kaiba was sugar, that foreigner is honey. Big eyes, pretty skin, wild hair…I can’t describe it!”

“You had to sign a non-disclosure because of him?” another man in the group asked.

“No, I can talk about him all I want! Ikeda-san who worked on their floor said she saw him kissing Seto Kaiba!”

The group burst out laughing and Yami hurried forward, thinking he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t hear the rest of this conversation.

“HAHAHAHA! Seto Kaiba kissing the foreigner? Wait, he’s a man, right?!”

“Yes! Imagine that!”

“I want to see that foreigner with my own eyes!” the man at the edge of the group declared. “I would pay for the KC channel if Kaiba would kiss him on TV. That man hasn’t had a consistent girlfriend since we were middle school children!”

The group roared with laughter again and Yami’s breath caught painfully in his throat. Wh-What?!

The group of men disappeared around the corner and Yami hastily followed them, peering around the edge, amazed to see a row of brightly lit shops with glowing neon signs on the street.

It was incredibly lively, with music blaring from some open doors while people milled around in large lines near the doorways.

He squinted through the lights, barely able to read some of the signs.

_“OPEN LATE! Happy Hour: 11PM – 2AM”_

_“G-R-E-A-Z-Y NIGHTS! 1 free appetizer with the purchase of 3 drinks!”_

There was a strange symbol drawn on the sign, and it took Yami a long while to realize that it was astrological signs, linked together. Male x Male.

Yami blanched and ducked away from the brightly lit shops, his heart thudding frantically in his chest.

Should he go in and try his luck?

Frowning to himself, Yami leaned against the wall, holding his breath, deciding to wait it out.

* * *

Seto stepped out of the shower, hastily patting himself dry and tossing the towel aside, scanning the room, figuring he had made Yami angry by refusing his advances while he was on the phone.

He gazed at the connecting door, wondering if Yami was asleep. He knew Yami’s sleep patterns were thrown off beat, given what had happened on the ship.

Seto gave the door a soft knock, calling his name out tentatively. “Yami? Are you awake?”

No answer. Yami was asleep.

He knocked again and rested his hand on the door handle, wondering if he ought to go in. He glanced over his shoulder at his own bed, sighing tiredly.

Hell was going to break loose tomorrow and he needed to be well-rested for it.  
  
He could play with Yami later, after the storm died down.

Striding over to his desk, Seto slid out a blank sheet of paper and hastily jotted down a few sentences in Japanese.

He folded the letter evenly in half and strode across the room, sticking it under the door, hoping Yami would see it when he woke up.

Sighing, Seto climbed into bed and rolled over onto his side, hating how cold everything felt.

He shut his eyes and felt himself drifting off immediately.

* * *

Yami shuffled his feet and shifted his bag on his shoulder, his body heavy with exhaustion.

He had forgotten how slowly time passed when there was nothing to do.

The sky had become inky blue and Yami managed to pass the time by filling his mind with thoughts of Seto. He couldn’t help but wonder if his owner was sleeping well tonight. Or maybe he was still awake, sitting robotically at his desk, his slender fingers tapping away at the keyboard.

Yami shut his eyes and took a deep breath, leaning against the wall, catching a whiff of fresh cigarette smoke. The drunken smokers had come out again for the third time. How many hours had it been?

People had begun passing the alleyway in loud, rambunctious groups, swinging their bags gaily over their heads while singing off-key, so Yami guessed it that it was past midnight.

A man stumbled into him, reeking of alcohol, and Yami shoved him away roughly, causing the man to trip over his own feet and land on his knees in the darkness, letting out a slow cursing yell.

“It…huuurtts!” The man cried, and Yami watched as the man’s companions continued down the street without him, clearly too drunk to realize that they had left their friend behind.

“Koji-san! Don’t be so rough!” the man said hoarsely, waving his hand behind him as if he was waiting to be helped up.

Yami backed away slowly, studying the man closely, thinking he looked like an ordinary businessman. He stared at the man’s arm, seeing two golden cufflinks gleaming back at him in the dark. Ah…did this man have money? Maybe there was a wallet he could steal…

Yami forced himself to snap out of it.  
He didn’t need a wallet.  
He needed a place to stay for the night.

He ran forwards and helped the man up, feeling the man drape an arm heavily across his shoulder, laughing weakly. “Koji…you smell good…what did you eat?”

“Same thing you did,” Yami said vaguely, leading the man back out onto the sidewalk, almost toppling over from the combined weight of his bag and the man on his shoulders. “Let’s get you home.”

The man frowned, peering into his face and looking deeply startled. “Y-You’re not Koji!” And the man tried to jerk away, but Yami grabbed ahold of the man’s wrist and kept his arm firmly wrapped over his shoulder.

“I’ll get you home,” Yami said earnestly, feeling the man stumble again and he stiffened his legs, keeping them both upright. “…Professor.” He added hastily, after seeing a name badge swinging on the man’s hip.

The name badge swung out of sight and Yami cursed internally, wishing he had seen the rest of the name.

The man frowned and continued walking forward slowly, sounding worried. “A-Are you one of my students?”

“Yes!” Yami answered quickly, his mind spinning as he eased himself into a lie. “I was a little startled when you ran into me, but I’m glad you’re OK! This is a dangerous area, sensei!”

The man chuckled and Yami studied his features more carefully as they made their way down a well-lit street, and he realized that this man looked strangely familiar.

 Slick black hair, delicate features, thin eyes….

 _Maybe I’m going crazy,_ Yami thought frantically, feeling the man stumble again, and he stared at the nape of the man’s neck, wondering where he had seen this man before.

On the cruise ship? At a grocery store?

“If you were in that area, then you know why it’s dangerous there,” the man said softly, his arm tightening over Yami’s shoulder. “Were you following me? I can’t be seen like this with one of my students…it’s…improper….”

“I’m just helping you out,” Yami replied innocently, seeing the name tag swing into view again, and he could barely make out the kanji on the shiny plastic in the darkness.

Professor Okawa.

Yami felt his heart stop for a moment as he recalled the math tutor who had come into his room, once, many months ago. W-Was this the same man?

He stared intently at the man’s cheeks, studying his jawline.

Yes. This man was that tutor. What a small, funny world.

“If you like me, there’s no shame in that,” the man said quietly, his grip around Yami’s shoulders growing weaker as they continued down the street. “You’re very brave for saying so. What’s your name?”

Yami grit his teeth, wondering if he ought to lie. How long could he stay with this man? Did this man live alone?

“You don’t remember me?” Yami asked heatedly, feeling the man pause in his step and gaze up at the sky, clearly sweating.

“Let’s take a taxi…” Okawa said slowly, giving Yami a strange look. “I live a bit farther from here. Are you coming home with me?”

“Yes,” Yami answered steadily, seeing the man sway and wobble towards the edge of the road. He watched Okawa slip his phone out from his pocket and tap it vaguely. Yami eyed the screen intently, seeing Seto’s logo on one of the applications in his phone.

“…kun…?” the professor said, smiling gently, sticking his phone back into his pocket. “What do I call you?”

Yami blinked, recalling what the gangsters had shouted after him while he dashed away from the alleyway earlier that night. _“A wild Yugi appeared…!”_

“Yugi,” Yami said hastily, and the professor stared into his face for a solid moment before breaking out into a wide smile.

“Ah! Yugi-kun! I could barely recognize you! Is this a new style?”

 _A new style?_ Yami wondered faintly, nodding. He remembered the girl from the pink shop on the ship, also addressing him as Yugi, mentioning that she also liked his new “gyaru-casual” style, which made him look like a “cool foreigner”.

“Ah, it’s good to be young,” the professor said, nodding. “I’ve seen you peeking at me, Yugi-kun. It makes my heart race.”

 _Crap,_ Yami thought frantically, seeing a bright yellow car pulling to the curb, and he watched the professor lean heavily on the door, attempting to open it for them, and Yami rushed forward to help him.

“Yugi-kun,” Okawa panted, falling into the seat as Yami gave him a forceful shove into the car. “Aren’t you going out with Mazaki-san?”

Yami eased himself into the seat beside Okawa and slammed the door shut, making sure to keep his bag safely in front of him on his lap, catching the taxi driver’s eye in the mirror.

“Address?” the man asked tiredly.

“Your address, Okawa-sensei,” Yami said, hastily giving the man’s shoulder a rough shake, seeing the man stammer and nod, leaning forward to give the driver instructions.

The car sped off quietly and Yami tried to calm himself down as he began to panic internally.

He was definitely being mistaken for someone named Yugi.  
  
The first time was odd, the second time was equally as strange, and now for the third time, there was no denying that he probably bore a strong resemblance to someone named Yugi.

Was Yugi friends with those gangsters? Was he popular? Or was he unpopular?

A warm hand curled around his knee and Yami tensed, staring down at the man’s hand on his leg.

“You broke up with her?” Okawa asked, hiccupping slightly, gazing deeply into his face with an adoring expression. “You’re such a beautiful young man, Yugi. That’s unfortunate.”

 _Who?_ Yami thought faintly, his heart racing frantically as the car made several gentle turns and he tried desperately to memorize the street signs, but they all passed by too quickly.

The hand on his leg squeezed him tightly once more and Yami blinked slowly, willing himself to feel nothing.  
  
Seto would touch him like this in a reassuring way.

This man was touching him like this because he wanted sex.

The contrast was scary.

“Ah, here is fine!” the professor slurred at the driver and the car pulled to a slow stop in front of a tall glass building with wide glass doors and neatly trimmed bushes lining the sidewalk. “Do you take DP?”

“Yes,” the driver responded curtly, holding his phone up over his shoulder, and Yami watched with increasing curiosity as the professor held up his own phone and attempted to get the driver’s phone to scan something on his screen, but his hand kept shaking, and a strange buzzing noise kept echoing around the cabin.

“I’ll help you,” Yami said quickly, snatching the professor’s phone out of his hand, staring down at the strange black square in the center of the screen.

The tiny text at the bottom read: _“Scan QR code to pay! Duel Points are accepted at all locations with…”_

“Scan…” the driver said, sounding bored.

Yami hastily stopped reading and raised the screen, holding it parallel to the driver’s phone camera, wondering if he was doing it right.

After a moment, a chirpy blip chimed from both phones and Yami breathed a sigh of relief.

Whatever the hell was going on, he was somehow managing to navigate his way through this situation without embarrassing himself or the professor.

“Ah…Yugi-kun…so savvy with technology,” Okawa mumbled, leaning his head heavily on Yami’s shoulder, and Yami wrinkled his nose as the sour smell of alcohol rose up around him.

“Thank you,” the driver said robotically, and Yami shoved the door open, dragging the professor behind him, gritting his teeth with effort. Damn…this man was heavy!

He heard the car drive away behind them as they limped towards the glass doors.

“My keycard…” Okawa said weakly, fumbling around in his pocket and extracting a wallet.

Yami watched as he pressed the entire wallet against a scanner at the door and the lock clicked open loudly.

Trying not to feel impressed, Yami helped the man in through the door and into the elevator, where there was another scanner.

Everything was shiny and bright, and very clean.

Yami glanced around appreciatively as the elevator doors slid shut, thinking he had done well for himself for the night.  
This professor clearly had money, living in a complex with an elevator.  
Of course he had money.

Seto had hired him…and Seto was known to be quite generous with pay, right?

As the elevator traveled up, Yami felt the professor lean heavily onto him from the side, and a warm wet feeling grazed the side of his neck.

Yami froze, his stomach curling with fear and dread as he felt tongue and teeth tugging at the skin on his neck, and he resisted the urge to shove the man away.  
  
Gross. Disgusting. If it wasn’t Seto, it felt so wrong.

 _Endure,_ Yami chanted to himself, clenching his fist at his side, gazing up at the black domed camera in the ceiling, wondering if his owner would ever try to find him.

Thankfully, the elevator doors slid open and Yami lunged forward, feeling the man slip off his neck and let out a startled cry.

“We can’t do it here,” Yami said nervously, grabbing the professor’s wrist and pulling him into the hallway, his eyes watering as he stared at the glowing number plates which were lit with warm, orange lights.

The carpet was soft beneath his feet and his bag was growing increasingly heavier across his shoulders by the minute as the professor stumbled after him, his lips once again latching wetly onto the nape of his neck.

Why was it that every time he was in a beautiful place, something terrible was happening?

“Your room number, sensei,” Yami said steadily, hearing his own voice waver as the man pulled away and squinted up at the door plaques.

“One more…” the man gasped, pointing at the end of the hall, and Yami sprinted forward, gripping the handle tightly, blinking rapidly as he could feel his eyes heating up with unshed tears of frustration.  
  
Was he really going to enter this room with this man?  
Wouldn’t it be safer on the streets?!

The door lock clicked open and Yami saw the professor flash him a smile. “You’re quite eager, Yugi-kun…there’s no need to hurry!”

Yami chose to remain silent, following the man into his room, his dread threatening to overwhelm him.

The lights flickered on in the hallway and Yami almost tripped as something thin caught him around the ankles. Panicking terribly, Yami’s knees stung as he fell to the floor, and he tried to get back up, hearing the professor sigh dramatically.

“I’m sorry it’s so messy here, Yugi-kun,” Okawa said, throwing himself down onto a couch somewhere in the middle of the room. “I live alone…and I rarely get visitors.”

Yami glanced down at the white plastic bag wrapped around his ankle and he kicked it off, hating everything. He thunked his bag down in the hallway and took a good look at the room, realizing that there was a lot of space…and very messy.

There was a kitchen, but the counter was loaded with a mess of clothes, stray papers, and empty drink cans. The center of the room had a coffee table, but cans and plastic bags were strewn all around it…and there was an odd stench.

There was even a balcony, but the pile of laundry that sat against the window was blocking access to it, and Yami turned his gaze upwards, noticing that there was even an upstairs.

“May I use your bathroom, sensei?” Yami asked tentatively, deeply repulsed by his surroundings. How could one man live like this?!

There was no answer and Yami stepped around a leaking garbage bag to make his way to the couch, only to discover Okawa splayed out horizontally across all the cushions, snoring gently.

Disgusted, Yami headed down the hallway and found the bathroom. He tapped the light switch on, pressing a hand to his nose as he saw a filthy yellow ring of urine hugging the bottom of the toilet bowl.

The bathtub was wide and luxurious, but random bottles of shampoo, soaps, and conditioners littered the edge.

Yami blinked, feeling his head spin.

It was definitely cleaner out on the street!  
The ground outside sparkled!  
This bathroom was grimy and the entire apartment was filthy!

Sighing, Yami edged over to the sink, slowly washing his hands and splashing warm water on his face.

He stared at the dirty brown ring around the drain and shut the water off, resolving to clean everything as much as he could to earn his stay here.

Okawa would wake up in a new apartment, and beg for him to stay.

Then, he could figure out what to do after he had successfully secured a roof over his head.

* * *

Isono was doing his early morning rounds around the house, feeling unusually tired. He had tossed and turned last night, wondering if Yami had managed to check into a hotel successfully, but then had remembered all hotels and hostels required IDs, and Yami had none.

Sighing, he stepped into the guest room with a fresh stack of towels, pausing in the middle of the empty room, wondering what the hell he was doing.

This room no longer needed fresh towels or sheets.

He turned and was about to leave when he spied a stray sheet of paper stuck under the door. A goodbye letter?

Moving to set the towels down on the bed, Isono bent down and hastily picked it up, unfolding it quickly. Goosebumps raised along his arms as he recognized Kaiba’s thin, slanted handwriting.

_“Yami,_

_I’m sorry I yelled at you. Please don’t be angry with me. I know you really wanted to play, but you have to know that there’s a time and place for it. I was on the phone, and I know that you have eyes which can clearly see that I’m busy._  
  
Try again later, ok? :)  
We’ll make it memorable.

_Seto”_

A thick lump of something odd was rising in Isono’s throat as he read the letter over again, realizing that Kaiba wasn’t aware of Yami’s departure.

What did he mean by “play”? Did he mean that sexually?!

_“We’ll make it memorable.”_

Definitely sexual.

Isono gripped the letter tightly, his chest burning with a strange fire.

Master Kaiba and the foreigner were exchanging love letters! How often was this happening? Why had he not seen this while he was burning the practice sheets?  
  
Was it because Yami had kept the love letters in a special place?

Tucking the letter into his pocket, Isono resolved to search the room more vigorously.

He checked thoroughly under the bed with the light of his phone and found nothing.

The closets and bathroom cabinets were empty. The nightstand drawers were all empty.

Isono hovered over the desk and pulled out all the drawers, noticing that all the spare change had been taken. He carefully lifted each drawer out of its compartment and found a set of paper folded against the very back, like a false backing.

You would’ve missed it if you weren’t looking, but it was obvious when you saw it. Clever.

Isono slid the stack out with a shaking hand and unfolded it, his blood running cold at his new discovery.

Some of the papers had clearly been re-used, with Kaiba’s handwriting at the top in Japanese, and Yami’s handwriting at the bottom in Arabic.

Isono read the topmost letter quickly, as it looked like the oldest one.

_“Yami,_

_Stop rattling the doorknobs at 3AM in the fucking morning…”_

And Yami’s reply in Arabic was lengthy.

Somewhere in the middle of the stack, all the letters were written in Japanese, and Isono held his breath, reading each one carefully.

_“Seto,_

_I want to see the cherry blossoms! Apparently, I missed them this year. Why are Japanese people so obsessed with this flower?”_

A visible fold in the paper, and Kaiba’s reply was written beneath it.

_“Honestly, beats me. Also, please shut up about flowers. I know you like flowers. We’ll go see the damn flowers when they bloom again next year.”_

Another fold, and Yami’s neat rounded handwriting followed.

  _“Okay……..then……can we go see some damn fish in a tank then? Mokuba says he wants to go! Therefore, I also want to go. Please take us both._  
 (a messy drawing of a fish)  
  
Thanks.  
  
Also, you should probably wear a mask when we go. Your ugly face would scare away even the most vicious of sharks.”

A solid fold, and Kaiba’s reply was written with rushed strokes.

_“fuck you fuck you fuck you. Your hair is so spiky, you’d give sea urchins a run for their money (a dark messy scribble resembling a sea urchin)._

_Also, if I’m ugly, what does that make you?”_

A thin fold, and Yami’s handwriting was scrawled hastily beneath it.

_“Ha. That makes me…prettier than you.”_

Swallowing his amazement, Isono fanned through the stack, astounded to see some exchanges taking up every inch of the paper from top to bottom.  
  
And one exchange even had a heart.

Yami had drawn it next to his name at the end of a letter and Kaiba had reciprocated with a drawing of a tiny penis.

Yami had responded on a fresh sheet of paper, with a drawing of a larger penis.

Kaiba had replied with a more detailed drawing, even adding a mess of pubic hair and veins.

Isono bit his lip so hard, his eyes watered. He turned to the next page and saw that Yami had traced Kaiba’s drawing of the ugly penis and had added cat ears and whiskers. 

Kaiba had reciprocated by adding a speech bubble.

_“Woof.”_

Shaking, Isono folded the stack of letters, unsure if he should burn them.  
These letters were hilarious. They were touching and oddly comforting.  
Kaiba’s human side was showing, and it was a rare sight to see.  
  
Yami sounded wholesome, and even included Mokuba in his writings, somehow managing to bring out a side of Kaiba which Isono had never seen before.  
Was this friendship? Or was this his way of showing love?  
Isono didn’t know.

He glanced down at the stack of papers in his hand, unable to bring himself to destroy them.

He stood shakily and pulled open the connecting door, striding through Kaiba’s room and accessing the fingerprint scanner in the bottom-most drawer in his desk.

He slipped the letters underneath a stack of heavy leather files and eased it shut, wiping his brow which was lightly beaded with nervous sweat.

If this was the right thing to do, why did he feel so horrible doing it?

Shaking his head, Isono walked back into the guest room and tried not to think about it.

* * *

The sun was streaming warmly in through the sparkling balcony windows and Yami straightened up, glancing around the room proudly.

Every surface was sparkling clean.  
All the trash had been cleared and was bundled up into a dozen neat bags, which were all sitting in a neat row in the hallway.

The low hum of the washer and dryer was comforting.  
The fresh scent of cleaner was in the air, mixed with the sharp tang of laundry fluid.

Everything was clean.  
Yami had spent the entire night tidying up.  
He had organized the upstairs bedroom, even managing to find spare futons, all of which were now hanging out to air.  
  
The dishes had been washed and put away.  
The TV and glass cabinets had been wiped and polished.  
The refrigerator had been cleaned and organized.  
The railing of the stairs had been wiped.  
The bathroom had been thoroughly scrubbed.  
The doors, along with the doorknobs had been sanitized.  
  
All that was left was to find a vacuum, but Yami didn’t want to risk waking up the professor with a loud noise.

Yami walked out onto the balcony, inhaling the crisp morning air, feeling exhausted.

The Kaiba skyscraper was directly in his view, and its windows were burning bright orange, reflecting the rising sun. This was a good view indeed!

Yami shut his eyes and leaned against the silver railing, gazing down at the people walking on the sidewalk below, wondering if Seto was awake. He stared out across the city at the skyscraper, his heart thudding painfully in his chest.

He itched all over from the dust and grime, so he headed back inside, leaving the door wide open, letting the room air out as he walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

* * *

Seto set his briefcase down on his desk, feeling oddly empty.

This morning had been one of the first mornings he had woken up alone.

Yami had not come into his room in the middle of the night the way he usually did when they fell asleep separately.

Yami had also neglected to see him off at the door.

There had also been no response to the letter, which Seto had expected to see first thing in the morning, because Yami often woke up before him, occasionally doing AM duties around the house with Isono.

His coffee had also clearly been prepared by Isono, because the cup had been set on the left side of the tray, instead of the right.

Gently loosening his tie, Seto pinched the brow of his nose, wondering if he had made Yami irreversibly angry by refusing his advances yesterday.

He briefly considered giving Yami a phone.

Passing handwritten notes back and forth was endearing, but they had done so for months, and it was quickly losing its charm.

Yami was clearly fluent enough to know how to text. They had texted briefly while they were on the ship.

There was a soft knock at the door, and his secretary entered the office without being invited.

She rushed to the edge of his desk, looking deeply shaken. “I can’t believe that incident happened onboard! I’m so glad I didn’t go with you!”

“Wish you had been there,” Seto responded sarcastically, brushing the hair out of his eyes, and he heard her gasp, seeing her pointing at him dramatically, pressing a hand to her mouth, jumping up and down and squealing with excitement.

“Who! Who is it?! Oh my goodness! Was it special?!”

Seto frowned at her, wondering why there was a sudden change in her demeanor. A murder-suicide wasn’t something to squeal about.

“That explains your behavior in the past few months,” she said, nodding knowingly, and Kaiba’s confusion began rising higher and higher. What the hell was she talking about?!

“Seto Kaiba, you sly dog! Maybe that incident is to cover up for the fact that you got married!” she gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Who is it? You have to tell me! I never took you for someone who would marry fast! I’m impressed!”

Seto blinked rapidly, staring at his own hand resting casually on his desk. The delicate silver ring sat innocently on his forefinger and his stomach did a giant somersault.

He stared at the thin line connecting the elegant space in the ring, and he felt his head spin. Maybe…he should wear this on a different finger….

Would Yami be angry about that?

His secretary was still asking rapid-fire questions. “When did you meet her? Is that why you keep leaving early nowadays? What’s she like? Is she a movie star? You can tell me!”

Kaiba set his mouth in a tight line, his heart pounding furiously in his chest as he wondered how he ought to say that Yami was male, and not female.

Thankfully, he was saved by the phone ringing in the hallway, and he watched her dash away frantically to answer it.

Sighing, Seto palmed his face, slipping his phone out and wondering if he should text Mokuba about Yami’s behavior.

Being ignored by his sex partners was something he had gotten used to, but Yami wasn’t just a sex partner. And when Yami ignored him, it made him feel strangely neglected.

His secretary stuck her head in through the door, frowning worriedly. “The police are on the phone….”

Seto felt his stomach churn strangely and he nodded at her, hesitating for a moment before snatching up the phone and pressing it to his ear. “This is Seto Kaiba.”

“Ah, Mr. Kaiba!” A vaguely familiar voice echoed through the receiver, sounding relieved. “Please let us know when you are able to recover the feeds. We are in desperate need of them. We will be holding a press release today, and your name will be kept out of it, but we have to mention the event…”

“I’ll work on it,” Seto hissed, feeling his face and ears burn with a strange fire. Godammit.

He hung up on the officer, and the phone rang immediately just as he set it down into his cradle. Kaiba snatched it up, feeling a headache coming on.

“What?”

“M-Mr. Kaiba, ah…Maximillion Pegasus is on line 2.”

Gritting his teeth, Seto hit the second glowing button and snapped into the phone. “What do you want?”

“Ah…Kaiba-boy…friendly as always,” Pegasus’s voice drifted cooly in his ear, and Seto gripped the phone tighter, feeling his ring digging into his skin. “I’m sure you’re aware, they will be announcing details of the…ah…incident on TV today, so, I’m offering to help. Again. Look at me, so helpf—”

“Get to the fucking point,” Seto growled, feeling as if he was about to explode. His morning had barely started, and he was already being harassed by police. Pegasus was not helping.

“I’ll be hosting an impromptu dueling event, for the next three days!” Pegasus exclaimed, sounding awfully fake. “In the Domino Stadium! First-come first-serve tickets! I’ll give you half of the arena’s revenue if you agree to open a stand to rent out your latest duel disks.”

“Keep your fucking revenue,” Kaiba said tiredly, leaning an elbow on his desk, wishing he had woken up in a warm bed with Yami beside him. “Host your event. I’ll send a truck with the tech. How many do you need?”

“To keep this event exclusive…only fifty,” Pegasus said firmly. “You know me. I like to create demand.”

“Whatever,” Seto said coldly, hanging up the phone stiffly, feeling his shoulders ache.

Would the duel arena diversion be enough?

He stared down at his hand and his ring gleamed pleasantly back at him in the morning light.

Maybe…he could use this to his advantage. Be photographed with this ring, to generate buzz and wild rumors.

Would people rather discuss a murder-suicide, or who Seto Kaiba had secretly married over the weekend?

Rising slowly from his desk, Seto shrugged his blazer off carefully and draped it over his arm.

He walked over to the mirror and angled his hand strategically, seeing his ring flash subtly as he shifted his blazer to his other hand.  
Good. He would do this, now.

He strode nervously out of his office, passing by his secretary, who jumped to her feet and bowed frantically, following him into the elevator hastily, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, gazing up at him shyly. “Wh-Where are we going, Mr. Kaiba?”

“Out for coffee,” Seto said coldly, thinking he had never been in less of a mood for coffee in his life. His mind was filled with unease and unending thoughts of Yami as the elevator stopped at the lowest floor and opened slowly.

He felt his secretary following him at his heels closely, and he grit his teeth, catching a glimpse of a black umbrella at the front doors. The photographers were always waiting. That was the one thing he could always count on in his life.

Even if he was living in the pits of hell, a camera would somehow find a way to follow him.

“W-Wait, Mr. Kaiba!” his secretary gasped, and Seto ignored her, pushing open the doors and slowly walking down the steps, seeing the dark mass of photographers converge around him on both sides in a huge wave.  
  
“Mr. Kaiba! Good morning!”

“Where are you headed today, Mr. Kaiba?”

Several bright lights flashed in his vision as the loud rolling clicks of camera shutters made his ears ring.

“Are you his girlfriend?! Secretary-san?”

“We rarely see you out together! Are you dating?!”

Seto pushed forward, hearing his secretary squeak in fear and duck behind him.

“Mr. Kaiba, is it true that a murder-suicide happened on one of your cruise ships this week?”

 _There it is,_ Seto thought darkly, stopping in his steps and slowly shifting his blazer to his other hand, his mouth going dry as the heat from the stares and lights made his skin burn.

“A what?” Seto asked slowly, reaching his hand up and brushing the hair away from his eyes, and he heard collective gasps echo around him, and the crowd pushed up against him closer from all sides, clamoring excitedly.

The shutters and flashing lights increased tenfold, and Seto felt his secretary’s nails digging into his arm painfully.

“Did you get married, Mr. Kaiba?!”

“Nice ring! Who is the maker? What is the brand?”

“How long has this relationship been going on?”

“Why is Secretary-san not wearing a ring as well?”

“Secretary-san! Secretary san…!”

“It’s not me!” Kaiba heard her gasp from behind him, and her hand left his arm suddenly. “It’s not me! I don’t know who it is! Please let us through! Please…!”

“Who is it then?!” a man shouted way too close to his ear, and Seto winced, thinking he was done making his point.

“Please tell us! Mr. Kaiba!”  
  
“How long have you two been dating?!”  
  
“Is it an engagement or a marriage?”  
  
“What’s her name?!”

Seto slipped his hand into his pocket and tapped the button on his phone three times rapidly, calling on his guards, and he stood his ground, smiling mildly into the camera, answering lightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The crowd exploded into a frenzy, jostling him from all sides, shouting at him.

“So, you _did_ get married!”

“Who is she?!”

“When did this happen?!”

“Is that an engagement ring?! Will there be a wedding in the spring?! This winter?!”

Seto saw his guards shoving the crowd aside, moving steadily towards him, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief as broad backs faced him and pushed the crowd away steadily.

“Back off, please! This is harassment!” Seto heard one of his guards shout himself hoarse, and smiled to himself, deeply pleased.  
His ploy had worked.  
He would love to see Domino Police try to top this with their press release later today.

* * *

Mokuba jerked his head up from his desk, blinking at the TV, hearing Seto’s name warbling from the speakers.

He snatched the controller up and increased the volume, staring at the female newscaster’s face, watching her speak excitedly as a clear photo of Seto’s hand covering his face was displayed in the top corner.

_“…as Seto Kaiba was walking out of his office this morning! Marriage speculations and rumors have been confirmed as many people are now wondering who the mysterious, and lucky…”_

Mokuba leapt out of his chair, his heart thundering in his chest as he recalled seeing a very similar ring sitting on Yami’s finger…yesterday.

He raced out of his room and through the hallway, knocking on Yami’s door, feeling deeply excited.

Yami had managed to get Seto to marry him?! What great news!

Isono stood very still in the middle of the living room, staring aghast at the TV, with the duster hanging loosely at his side, unable to believe his eyes or ears.

 “… _he was caught in a crowd of photographers, who managed to capture this image…”_

A very clear shot of Kaiba’s hand gripping his blazer was displayed on the screen, and the camera zoomed in on the delicate silver ring sitting on his forefinger, and the photo disappeared as they screen blinked to show the two newscasters, smiling widely.

“So, not once, but twice, he was showing it off, casually!” the male newscaster said enviously, and his female co-worker laughed demurely, covering her mouth and blushing.

Isono felt his face heating up inadvertently, wondering what had gotten into Master Kaiba.

He usually actively avoided cameras, but had purposely stepped out this morning to show off an engagement ring?!  
When did this happen? And whom was he engaged to?  
It wasn’t Yami…was it?

“He was being cool, like this,” and the male newscaster continued to mimic Kaiba, adjusting the lapels on his blazer, rolling his knuckles in slow motion, as if to flaunt imaginary jewelry.

“Yes, and he was doing this,” the female newscaster said, comically brushing hair out of her eyes in slow motion, keeping the back of her hand flat, showing off her own engagement ring, and there was faint laughter in the background coming from the people in the studio. “See how it sparkles! Congratulations, Mr. Kaiba!”

“Indeed, indeed…” the male newscaster nodded, and Isono heard Mokuba’s footsteps come pattering up behind him.

“I…sono…” Mokuba panted, gripping his knees, trying to catch his breath. “Where is Yami?”

“I sent him out,” Isono lied delicately, hoping his voice didn’t waver when he spoke.

“Tell him I need to talk to him,” Mokuba said brattily, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at Isono. “And I know you’re fighting with him. Stop it, or I’ll tell Seto.”

“We are not fighting,” Isono answered truthfully, seeing Mokuba eye him beadily.

“Yeah right, I don’t believe you.” Mokuba said coldly, staring right past Isono at the TV, seeing another image of Seto, this time surrounded by his bodyguards, but the photo had been cropped to show his hand once more. “Are you angry that Seto wants to marry Yami?”

Isono dropped the duster and it fell onto the floor with a soft thump, his worst fears confirmed, and Mokuba smirked evilly.

“Betcha didn’t know that,” Mokuba said, turning to walk back up the stairs, and Isono watched him go, feeling as if the world was crashing down upon him all at once.

It all made sense.

Yami wasn’t being harassed by Kaiba. Yami was approaching Kaiba sexually.

In the early months upon Yami’s arrival, Kaiba had come out of the foreigner’s room, looking pale and strangely frightened.

The incident he had witnessed when he had found Yami naked on Kaiba’s bed was one where Kaiba had clearly rejected Yami…or something of that nature. There was some odd fighting going on between them, and it was evident in the letters they exchanged.

The love letters they exchanged.

He had seen Yami lovingly prepare Kaiba’s meals, every morning and evening.  
  
Yami had also willingly laundered all of Kaiba and Mokuba’s clothing, along with his own, even when it wasn’t a task that was required of him.

Yami had even asked him to teach him how to cook and clean…because he wanted to become Seto’s new right-hand man.

 _He wants to replace me!_ Isono thought, horrified. He picked up the duster and began brushing it furiously across the mantel, ignoring the trilling laughter of the newscasters in his ears.

Yami’s terrified face flashed through his mind, bringing him back to the moment when Yami had asked him to burn the suit.

He hadn’t done that yet.  
Maybe…he should test the suit for blood, before burning it.  
  
Should he also be concerned with why Yami always seemed to look frightened? Or was that just the expression he chose to adopt whenever he asked for a favor?

Brushing the thought angrily out of his mind, Isono resolved to finish his daily chores peacefully. He would confront Kaiba when he returned from work today.

* * *

**Author’s note:**

Why is this story titled Eight-Sided Shape?

Because I feel like the octagon, and the number eight, is very symbolic, in many contexts (mathematical & spiritual).

In my culture, the number eight holds great value, and it is usually associated with rebirth, wealth, and the cyclical nature of life.

I decided to apply that concept to the title of this story. I wanted it to stand for Yami’s transition and rebirth into a new life, a new world; his transition and rebirth into Kaiba’s wealthy life and Kaiba’s wealthy world.

I hoped that the title would ultimately portray how Yami and Kaiba’s lives would always revolve around each other infinitely, regardless of the time and space.

Also, infinite love and appreciation to YLJE for looking over this chapter!

Hugs,  
UGLI


	27. I will destroy everything for you!

Yami stepped out of the shower and toweled his hair dry, feeling slightly refreshed.

He wrapped the towel around his waist and reached for the door handle, but to his surprise, it swung open suddenly and Okawa stumbled into him headfirst.

Panicking, Yami stepped around him and rushed out, his mind on one thing. Clothes. He had forgotten to bring a fresh set into the bathroom with him and the last thing he wanted was to be naked in front of this man.

He heard a startled cry behind him. “W-Wait! Wh-Who are you?!”

Yami froze, his arm outstretched, cursing as he hated himself for being stupid enough to leave his bag in the hallway while he stacked garbage along the wall.

Now his bag was blocked by miles of garbage.

He slowly turned around and tightened his grip on the towel around his waist, holding his breath, daring himself to smile weakly at the professor. “G-Good morning…”

He saw the man gape at him, and lace his hands behind his head in solid amazement as he gazed around his apartment, his adam’s apple jumping in his throat.

“Di-Did you do this?” he asked, gesturing around the sparkling apartment, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

Yami nodded stiffly, feeling his fingers ache from gripping his towel too tightly. “I hope you don’t mind…I went ahead and used your bathroom, sensei.”

“S-Sen…” the man paled and gripped the doorframe, swaying dangerously on the spot, and Yami hoped in that moment that he would faint, but Okawa seemed to gather himself and remain standing, still swiveling his head around to gaze incredulously at all the clean surfaces in the room.

“You’re my student?!” Okawa asked, terrified. A clear look of panic crossed his face as he raked his gaze shamelessly up and down Yami’s body.

He glanced down at himself and reddened, seeing his clothes in disarray. “Um…last night…did we…?”

“Yes,” Yami replied hastily, deciding to sound angry. He would take advantage of this poor teacher, who clearly had a bad case of alcohol amnesia. “You were quite forward last night, and my body is quite sore. Please let me rest here for the day.”

“T-Take…take…” the professor trembled visibly, stammering incoherently. He slid slowly into a sitting position at the edge of the doorway and Yami felt no sympathy for him.

“And I need a vacuum,” Yami continued, feeling his toes curl from the filth of the carpet. “It would be disgraceful if anyone knew you lived like this, sensei.”

“I’m-I’m a little…” Okawa reddened deeply and lowered his head shamefully. “Thank you.”

“Thank me after I vacuum,” Yami said irritably, gazing down the long hallway, wrinkling his nose at the row of garbage. “And give me a key so I can come back in after I throw this garbage out.”

“I will help you!” Okawa said, leaping to his feet and dashing into the bathroom, slamming the door shut so hard, everything shook.

Yami blinked, stunned at the change in demeanor.  
Alcohol really brought out the worst in people.

Sighing tiredly, Yami walked towards the kitchen and eased himself down on a barstool, not wanting to step through garbage to get his bag.

The sound of running water shut off and Yami froze, realizing that Okawa had gone into the bathroom without a fresh set of clothes.

Cursing internally, he stormed up the steps and strode into the bedroom, flinging open the drawers and grabbing the only clean set of clothes he had managed to find before hurrying down the steps and knocking on the bathroom door.

“Okawa-san!” Yami said loudly, feeling his eyelids hurt every time he blinked. Damn he was tired. “I have a fresh set of clothes for you here. Please wait while I also grab a towel from the wash.”

He dropped the clothes down on the floor and hurried down the hallway, pulling out towels from the dryer and tossing it on top of the clothes.

The door creaked open slowly and a shaking hand reached out to snatch up the clothes and towel before slamming shut again, and Yami bit back a delirious laugh.  
  
Why was this man so modest now, when he was clearly a grabby drunkard last night? Maybe he ought to remind Okawa of that.

“Hey, sensei,” Yami said dryly, giving the door a rough bang, hearing the man drop something with a clatter. “Why are you acting like this? Do you really not remember how you were treating me last night?”

There was another long silence, and Yami listened to the soft rustling behind the door before it swung open, and Okawa stood before him, looking refreshed, but deeply ashamed.

“What’s with that expression?” Yami continued, seeing Okawa flinch at his tone, and he slowly began regaining his confidence.

This man was easy to bully!  
Exchanging brutal insults and stinging backhanded comments with Seto had almost over prepared him for moments like these.

“Do you not like me anymore? That expression is hurtful, sensei.”

Okawa kept his head lowered, stepping forwards shakily and bowing deeply. “I have failed you as an educator. I did not intend to reciprocate your feelings.”

Yami blinked rapidly, a strange laugh bubbling up in his chest as he stared at the dark swirl of hair in front of him. Impressive. A solid rejection.

Cry.

Yami blinked, and tears came easily.

They were tears he had been holding back since he had left the mansion yesterday afternoon.

They just kept streaming down his face uncontrollably while he felt terribly empty inside, and he caught another look of deep terror flitting across Okawa’s face.

Good.

“…I’m sorry…!” Yami hissed through clenched teeth, feeling the room spin dangerously around him. He really needed to lay down now, or he might actually faint. Then, would this man call the authorities? That was the last thing he needed!

“No…no! I didn’t mean it!” Okawa balked, bowing forwards again frantically, peering anxiously into his face, reaching his hands out to touch his shoulders but clenching his fists and retracting his hands, clearly regretting it. “I…do like you…a-as my student, M-Murata-san.”

 _Who?_ Yami thought deliriously, brushing the tears away from his face and feeling his towel slipping dangerously low along his hips.

“I’m deeply grateful for everything you’ve done for me,” Okawa said frantically, ruffling his hair in frustration. “Where are your clothes? A-Are they in the wash?”

“No,” Yami replied, feeling the tears stop as quickly as they came, and he returned to using his harsh tone. “My bag is in the hallway. I wasn’t thinking when I put the damn garbage there. Throw that shit out, won’t you?”

“Yes, yes, right away!” Okawa replied anxiously, slightly relieved to see that Yami had stopped crying. “I’ll go now. Please rest. Please…”

And Yami watched as the man heaved several sacks of garbage over his shoulder and left the room. The door slammed shut and the ringing silence was incredible.

Yami heard the washer chime, and he dutifully went to empty it. On a whim, he grabbed a random pair of shorts from the dryer and slipped them on, desperate for anything to cover himself.

 He grabbed a plain t-shirt and shrugged it on, pleased to see that it was large enough to go down to his knees, safely covering his ass.

The downside, was that it looked like he was wearing an ugly dress.

Shrugging it off, Yami gathered the dry clothes in his arms and piled them into the basket, hastily throwing wet clothes into the empty dryer, hearing the door open and close several more times.

What would he do from here on out? Stay for a day? Two days?

 _I need to sleep!_ Yami thought furiously, thinking he was becoming more and more unpleasant to be around the more unrested he was. Was he turning into Seto?

Seto’s irritable behavior was rubbing off on him badly.

Seto.

Yami grit his teeth and blinked, realizing that more tears were streaming down his face and he wiped them away, straightening up and heaving the basket up the stairs, setting it down beside a row of drawers with Lina’s voice echoing unpleasantly in his mind.

_“Play housewife! Don’t stay in one place for more than 3 days!”_

_I have three days,_ Yami thought glumly as he automatically folded and tucked the clothing away into the drawers.

Touching a stranger’s clothes was so odd.  
The scent was different.  
The cloth rubbed under his fingers differently.

An alien scent drifted up his nostrils and Yami held his breath, shutting his eyes and swaying slightly as he tried to recall what Seto smelled like. He couldn’t do it.

“H-Hey!”

Yami pried his eyes open and gazed tiredly at Okawa, who was hovering uncertainly by the doorway, looking at him strangely.

“Y-You’re touching my…!”

Yami glanced down and noticed he was holding a pair of the man’s underpants.  
  
“So?” Yami said dully, nimbly folding them in half and slipping them into the drawer without hesitation. “Have you gotten rid of all the garbage? Where is your damn vacuum?”

The man swallowed visibly and folded his arms across his chest, planting his feet apart, attempting to look stern. “You can’t just come in here and touch my things!”

“You touched my things…everywhere,” Yami replied cleverly, seeing the man waver on the spot, looking deeply shocked.

Prim and proper sensei probably wasn’t accustomed to being spoken to in this way. He would throw this man off even more.

“I asked if you had a vacuum, and you keep dodging my request,” Yami pressed, continuing to fold the laundry easily. “At this rate Okawa-san, I’m inclined to believe that you don’t have one.”

Yami finished the entire basket and shoved it aside, standing and stretching gently, seeing the man gape at him.

“I…I may not have one,” Okawa responded gruffly, looking away and blushing deeply.

“Then get one, dammit.” Yami replied coldly, feeling his bones ache with exhaustion. He was done dealing with this man. He wanted to sleep! 

“Move aside, sensei. I’m going to get the futons and I’ll sleep on the spare one. I’m aching all over.”

Pleased, Yami watched the man step aside obediently and he felt his heart pound nervously as he slid the balcony door open to grab the bedding. He threw it over his shoulder and steadily climbed the steps again, feeling his thighs ache.

He wobbled purposefully, acutely aware that the professor was watching his every move from the top of the steps.

“A-Ah…please be careful!” Yami heard Okawa’s voice ring out above him, and he smirked to himself, keeping his head lowered.  
This man was as foolish as they come.  
This was extremely fortunate.

He brushed past the professor again and tossed the futon down on the floor, sticking his legs underneath it and laying down slowly, turning his head to give Okawa a wide-eyed stare.

“Do you have class today, sensei?”

“No,” the man replied slowly, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Good,” Yami said, suppressing a yawn and turning over in the sheets, hating the odd scent that enveloped him. “You can go out to buy a vacuum, and some food. I threw out everything in your refrigerator. It was a black hole of filth in there.”

“Wh-What?” the man cried, and Yami ignored him, shutting his eyes tiredly, feeling himself sinking into the futon.

This man wouldn’t assault him in his sleep. He was safe….

“What food do I buy?” came the timid question, and Yami furrowed his brow, unable to believe his ears.

“Write this down, you stupid…” Yami bit back an insult and shut his eyes tighter, willing himself not to break down crying again.

He had to remind himself that Seto would take these insults lightly and respond with enthusiasm. Speaking like this to someone regularly would be considered abusive.

“Your sensei is stupid,” Okawa said softly, and Yami bit his tongue painfully. “I’m listening. Please get some rest, and I will come back with a vacuum and…?”

“Lettuce,” Yami said dryly, feeling a headache pounding at his temples. “Tomatoes. Apples. Carrots. Miso paste. Cabbage…”

“Th-This much?!” the man asked frantically, and Yami rolled his eyes underneath his eyelids.

This mad had clearly never had a home-cooked meal before in his life. How did you make a meal enough for two with only three ingredients, one fruit, and no rice?

“Okawa-san,” Yami said heavily as he was quickly losing his patience. He wanted to fucking sleep! “If you want to eat take-out meals for the rest of your life, that’s fine. Destroy your own colon.”

“N-No, I’m fine with it all!” came the desperate reply, and Yami clenched his jaw, listing out several more ingredients.

“Green onions. Eggs. Ham. Rice. A rice cooker. What kind of Japanese person are you? You don’t own a rice cooker, sensei?”

There was a long silence and Yami opened his eyes to stare at Okawa standing very still in the doorway, his head lowered in shame again. “I-I…eat the pre-cooked…packaged…rice….”

Yami blinked, feeling himself going numb with shock.  
Amazing. Even people with money lived badly. How was this possible?!

“Do you need money, Okawa?” Yami asked rudely, and he saw the man give him a startled look, which quickly morphed into anger.

“No! And that’s incredibly rude of you to ask, Murata-san!”

“Don’t come back without a vacuum or a rice cooker.” Yami shot back, deeply fed up with being called random names. “You’re a human disgrace.”

He saw Okawa’s blush deepen and he swore he saw the man swell with embarrassment and rage, stammering. “H-Human…”

“Disgrace,” Yami added carelessly, turning over and shutting his eyes. “Goodbye, sensei. Don’t wake me. I will sleep for as long as I need to. I cleaned your disgraceful apartment and endured your horrendous lovemaking last night.”

There was a long silence and Yami waited for the sound of footsteps to leave the doorway, and for a door to slam, but instead, there was nothing, and he realized Okawa was still standing in the room.

Crap.

Had he gone overboard with the insults?

“Hey, Murata-san…” the professor spoke quietly, and Yami counted three heartbeats before he responded. “What, sensei?”

“Perhaps, are you angry with me, because I said I couldn’t accept your feelings earlier?”

“Perhaps,” Yami replied sarcastically, hoping his tone didn’t leak into his voice.

“Well, I wish to take it back,” Okawa said gently, and Yami tensed, wondering what mess he had gotten himself into now. He listened intently to the professor’s words, his heart thundering in his ears with nervous anticipation.

“I see your effort, Murata-san. It’s clear that you like me very much, and I carelessly overlooked your feelings. I will strive to be a better role-model for you. Please forgive me, and please rest.”

Yami held his breath and heard the footsteps fading down the staircase. The front door clicked shut and he let his breath out in a relieved sigh.

Finally, now he could sleep peacefully.

* * *

Mokuba set the controller down in his lap and rose to his feet, stretching. He glanced out the window, realizing that the sky had darkened, and that it was probably dinner time.

He raced down the stairs and into the kitchen, skidding to a halt as he saw Isono bending over the counter, alone, carefully setting out one steaming plate of rice and a smoked fish.

Where was Yami? Why was Isono only making one meal?

“Hey,” Mokuba snapped, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe, his heart thudding nervously in his chest as he felt a strange aura emanating from Isono. “Why are you only making food for me, and not for Yami?”

“He may have already eaten,” Isono answered vaguely, feeling his insides curl at this lie. Yami was a resourceful young man. Buying food was not an issue for him.

Mokuba frowned, turning a heel and stomping up the steps, hearing Isono call out behind him. “Young Master, please come back to eat!”

“I’m telling Seto!” Mokuba shouted back over his shoulder as he rushed into his room to grab his phone off his desk.

Seto was on the phone with the police.

He felt his mobile phone buzz in his pocket and he grit his teeth, feeling his heart race nervously as he wondered what Isono wanted.

“The press-release was successful, and it received a surprising amount of indifference. You did well to draw attention away from it,” the chief officer praised. “What is this three-day long dueling event you’re co-hosting with Mr. Pegasus?”

“Would you like a ticket?” Kaiba asked aggressively, hearing a startled pause on the other end, and a hesitant stammer. “M-My daughter would, yes! But the reason for my call is a bit more serious than that matter.”

“What is it?” Seto said tiredly as he propped his head up on his hand, biting back a sigh while he listened to the officer on the other end sigh as well.

“We would like to request a search of your home,” the chief said solemnly. “Four other officers and I would like to pay a visit to your residence tomorrow. Would that be a good time for you?”

Seto blinked, feeling his head spin. Wait. Was he suspected for having an involvement with the murder-suicide?

The officer was still talking rapidly in his ear. “Of course, you are not suspected, Mr. Kaiba, but we have to look at everyone. Please understand.”

 _I need to recover those feeds_ , Seto thought faintly. He would be betraying Yami’s trust, but he needed to fucking know for himself. What the hell happened on that ship?

“I understand.” Kaiba said hollowly, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket again and he quickly ended the call. “See you tomorrow, officer.”

He hung up hurriedly and slipped his phone out, gazing down at the two messages from Mokuba.

_“SETO!!!!!!!!!!!! isono is being weird about yami. Did you know that they’re lowkey fighting? It suuuper annoying ghhhugh.”_

_“yesterday when you guys came back from the cruise, isono hid yami’s books in my room, and yami came crying looking for his dictionary. And now, isono isn’t making food for yami. I hate it when yami cries. So annoying.”_

Sighing tightly, Seto palmed his face and tapped Isono’s name in his contacts, sending him a vicious text.

_“Hey old man, stop bullying the foreigner. You’re acting childish and its distressing Mokuba. leave him the fuck alone before I fire you for real.”_

Isono felt his phone buzzing in his pocket as he pulled the front door open, letting two lab technicians into the house.

They bowed at him, keeping their eyes lowered respectfully as they stepped past him and headed down to the basement.

He ignored the text from Kaiba, knowing it was probably some insult regarding what Mokuba had just told him moments ago.

He followed the two technicians down a narrow hallway and watched them key a code into the door. One of them turned to address him politely. “We will deliver the results to you via verbal recording. Is that what you want?”  
  
So that it could easily be destroyed later.

“Yes,” Isono responded stiffly, clasping his hands in front of him, hoping his anxiety didn’t show on his face. “Do not input your findings into any logs.”

He watched the second lab technician disappear behind the door and he let his breath out in a soft sigh, wondering if he was really doing the right thing.

* * *

Yami woke up slowly, feeling cold and stiff all over.

He bolted upright, suddenly remembering where he was. A stranger’s house.

He leapt to his feet, feeling the covers falling away from his body and he wrinkled his nose. This man smelled like…not Seto.

Yami carefully made his way down the stairs, glancing around nervously, wondering where the professor was. The apartment was empty and the sky outside the balcony window was dark. He had slept for the entire day.

His days and nights would now be switched, which was exactly what he needed. While the man slept, he would cook, clean, and then sleep while the professor was away at work.

This was how he could ensure the safety of his hole.

A stack of groceries sat neatly on the counter and a small note was pinned underneath one of the bags.

Yami snatched it up, wondering if he could read it without the help of his dictionary.

“ _…-san_

_Here are the groceries you requested. Again, I am deeply grateful. I did also buy a vacuum and a rice cooker. They are by the door in the hallway._

_I have been called away to help complete a last-minute project with a group of … students. I might not return home tonight. Please rest. Here is a spare key in case anything happens. You know how to reach me._

_Okawa.”_

_A group of what students?_ Yami squinted at the kanji, trying to decipher it. Highschool? No, he knew the kanji for highschool.  
College? No, he knew the kanji for college too.  
  
He stuck the plastic keycard in his pocket and tried not to feel anything.

Tossing the note aside carelessly, Yami flipped on all the lights and dug through the bag, grabbing an apple and biting into it, chewing robotically.

It tasted like nothing.  
He hadn’t eaten in a day and a half, but he wasn’t hungry.

Striding towards the door, he spied a shiny rice cooker on the floor sitting beside a very expensive vacuum.

“Fool,” Yami muttered under his breath, grabbing the vacuum and dragging it into the middle of the living room.

He yanked the cord out viciously, and with one hand still holding his apple, he jammed the cord into the nearest plug and began vacuuming carelessly, desperately trying to keep his mind blank.

* * *

Seto blinked slowly, making sure to save his work as he glanced at the time in the lower corner of his computer.

It was past midnight. Was he going home tonight?  
No.  
Fuck it.

The police were coming to his house tomorrow, so he needed to be present. He would finish all of tomorrow’s work, tonight, and then greet the officers looking like a walking zombie.

He checked his phone and realized he had a missed text from Mokuba.

_“I miss you. I also miss Yami. I think Isono made him mad. He won’t come out of his room to play with me. I knocked a lot, and isono made me go back into my room.”_

“He’s ignoring me too, Mokuba,” Seto said tightly, more to himself than anything as he typed his response carefully.

_“Good night Mokuba. Sleep well. The police are paying us a visit tomorrow, so I have some things to take care of before they come.”_

_“k.”_ came Mokuba’s careless reply, and Seto clicked his phone off tiredly.

He rolled his shoulders back and positioned his hands over the keyboard, wishing he could curl up in bed beside Yami’s warm body.

On a whim, he accessed the GPS attached to Yami’s bracelets, seeing the two red dots sitting snugly together in Mokuba’s room, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief.

As long as Yami was making Mokuba happy, his own needs could wait.

* * *

Yami expertly wrapped plastic around the dish he had just made and slid it into the refrigerator, hearing two rapid knocks on the door.

He tensed, wondering why Okawa was knocking when he had the key to his own apartment.

He waited a few heartbeats before the knocks sounded again, and a soft female voice echoed from behind the door.

“Dear neighbor!”

Frowning, Yami glanced at the kitchen clock and realized with a jolt that it was 3AM.

He slowly walked to the door and cracked it open cautiously, shocked to discover that it was his owner’s girlfriend.

Yami gripped the door handle tightly, his heart leaping and soaring in his chest with nervous excitement. H-How was she here?! Had Seto sent her here to fetch him?

“I’m sorry to bother you so late, but could you please stop vacuuming? I have to go to work very early tomorrow morning,” she said quietly, and Yami blinked, his mind churning with a thousand questions.

She didn’t recognize him. She was wearing a thin satin robe, and her nipples were clearly visible through the fabric.  
What’s more, she was addressing him as “neighbor-san”….which meant that…she lived next door?!

“Apologies,” Yami said roughly, moving to quickly close the door, but he heard her gasp, and cry out in surprise. “The beautiful foreigner! Is that you? Mr. Kaiba’s friend?”

Swallowing tightly, Yami pulled the door back a little further, nodding hesitantly. Friend? Sure. If Seto kissed and licked all of his “friends”, then they were friends.  
Did she consider herself Seto’s “friend” too?

“Then _you_ can tell me who she is!” she whispered dramatically, throwing a frantic glance over her shoulder and giving the door a playful elbow, suddenly sounding wide-awake. “Let me in, won’t you? I want to gossip a bit!”

 _Who?_ Yami wondered faintly, and his curiosity got the better of him.

If Seto was already talking to a new woman after his first night away from the mansion, maybe it was a good thing he had left.

He swung the door back slowly, letting her brush past him and step into the hallway, glancing around appreciatively. “Wow! You sure are active at night. Having trouble sleeping? Maybe that’s how you two are friends now that I think about it…”

“I don’t think we’re friends,” Yami said slowly, feeling extremely grateful that Okawa was away. “Please sit.”

He gestured to the freshly vacuumed couch, and watched her ease down onto the cushions gratefully, craning her head around excitedly.

“What do you do for a living? You live well for a single guy!” she said happily, crossing one pale leg over the other, and Yami tried his best not to stare.

He walked over to the kitchen and glanced around for a kettle, cursing internally when he realized Okawa also didn’t own a kettle.  
That man…was a dysfunctional alien of sorts.

“Would you like something to drink?” Yami asked stiffly, hoping she would refuse.

She waved her hand across her face, gracefully declining.  “No, no, thank you. I wanted to talk about who he’s engaged to! Tell me! Tell me!”

She bounced excitedly up and down on the cushion and inched forward, placing her hands on her knees, gazing at him imploringly.

Yami blinked, feeling his world crashing down around him. Engagement?

He felt weak all over. What? Seto was engaged? To who?! Since when?!

“Wait!” she exclaimed excitedly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I thought you said you couldn’t speak Japanese! I could’ve sworn you were still learning a few months ago!”

“Ah…that,” Yami replied cryptically, leaning against the kitchen counter, his mind racing with unanswered questions. Could they go back to talking about the engagement?!

“Nevermind that!” she said happily as if she was reading his mind. “Tell me who she is!”

“How should I know?” Yami replied uncertainly, thinking he had done everything in his power to keep Seto by his side. Would Seto really become unfaithful after knowing he had left the house…only yesterday?!

“Ah, you do know!” she cried, leaping to her feet and rushing to the kitchen counter, easing onto one of the barstools, leaning forward so much, Yami could see all the way down her robe. “Tell me. Go on! We’re all friends! I won’t say anything!”

“I don’t know,” Yami answered truthfully, feeling as if he was about to cry. He laced his hands together tightly, feeling his ring dig painfully into his skin. Did he mean nothing to Seto? Did their time together mean absolutely nothing?!

“Liar,” she said boldly, propping her head up on her hands, raking her gaze down his body, and suddenly, Yami noticed her face slowly beginning to turn beet red.

“What,” Yami said haughtily, crossing his arms firmly, feeling as if she was eating him with her eyes.

If he remembered correctly, Seto had said that this woman “collected men.” Maybe he had already messed up by letting her into this room.

“It’s you…!” she whispered, thunderstruck. She pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes watering with emotion. “That’s why he wouldn’t say who! It’s you! You are wearing the same ring!”  
  
Yami blinked, feeling a heavy blanket of relief cascade over his entire body.

Oh…so it was like that!

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Yami said vaguely, thinking he would pull that line from Seto’s vocabulary.

He watched with growing excitement as she threw her head back and cackled loudly with amusement. “Look at you two! Even giving the same answers! It’s so obviously rehearsed! I’m offended that either of you don’t trust me!”

“Offended…?” Yami echoed uncertainly, his heart thundering in his ears as he felt his cheeks heat up with an odd sense of happiness. Seto had given the same answer…?

“You can tell me,” she said, sounding exasperated. She held her arms out in front of her, opening and closing her hands eagerly. “Come! Let me see!”

Yami hesitated for a long moment before slowly placing his hand on the kitchen counter, and warm hands wrapped around his.

He held his breath, watching her admire his ring, awestruck, turning his hand this way and that, letting the silver sparkle under the low lights.

He felt his cheeks burn with a strange fire that spread all the way down to his chest, causing his heart to beat warmly inside of him.

“Confirmed,” she said joyfully, tightening her grip over his hand. “It is the same ring. You can’t fool me, you two silly boys. Are you engaged or married? Tell me!”

“I can’t say,” Yami replied frantically, his heart leaping wonderfully in his chest as he wondered if she had harassed Seto like this yesterday too after seeing his ring.

“Oh stop…!” she groaned, releasing his hand and grabbing her hair comically in frustration. “Well, you can’t get rid of me that easily. I will continue asking until you answer, since I know you live next to me now! Gosh, I don’t know when that crazy professor moved out!”

“Crazy professor?” Yami repeated faintly, dread coursing through his veins, causing the brief happiness to fade away quickly.

“Oh yeah, him,” she said carelessly, waving a beautifully manicured hand across her nose again. “His outward appearance was always neat, but sometimes he would leave sacks of garbage by his doorway! And! There would be a strange odor whenever I walked by his door!”

“Disgusting…” Yami said weakly, thinking it was best if she returned to her room now. How bad would it be if that crazy professor walked in seeing her sitting at his counter, gossiping casually?

“Right, well,” she said hastily, easing off the barstool and hurrying through the hallway, bowing quickly at him, and Yami was secretly pleased with how tactful she was. “I need to get some rest. See you soon!”

Yami nodded and moved to see her off at the door, but she had already ducked out into the hallway, shutting the door with a soft click behind her.

Yami glanced around the room, feeling slightly better about everything.  
In fact, he felt great.  
He felt like jumping on the table and dancing.

 _He really loves me!_ Yami thought happily, yanking open the balcony door and leaning over the edge, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, gazing up at the starry night sky.

He felt relieved and exhilarated. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

“He loves me,” Yami murmured to himself, letting out a soft chuckle, and he took another deep breath, feeling a laugh bubbling up inside his chest. “He loves me.”  
  
He let out another deep laugh, and rocked back and forth on his heels, sobering up quickly.  
Seto was being ridiculous.  
Announcing an engagement?  
What the hell was that supposed to solve?  
It didn’t change the fact that his name was still tied to a murder-suicide.

Flicking the railing irritably, Yami stared glumly out across the city lights and directly at the Kaiba skyscraper, suddenly understanding that that was exactly what Seto wanted.

This distance was fine. Seto had announced the engagement to publicly confirm their closeness. If they maintained this distance, and the heat from the murder died down, they could meet again. Isono be damned.

“You’re quite smart, Seto,” Yami said longingly, pressing his cheek down against the cold railing, staring at his ring happily. “Announce an engagement while the police are solving a murder-suicide on your ship. I’m causing you so much trouble…”

Yami heard the door slam and rushed back into the apartment, seeing the professor slowly taking off his shoes at the doorway, looking worn out.

“Welcome back,” Yami said steadily, keeping his hands clasped behind his back. If the engagement had been announced, it was probably all over the news.  
He had to hide his ring. How closely did this “crazy professor” follow celebrity news?

“Ah, Murata-san…you’re awake,” Okawa said heavily, dropping his briefcase on the floor slowly. “I hope you slept well.”

“Do you need a bath?” Yami asked, ignoring him completely. “Are you hungry? I made food.”

He saw the professor’s face brighten instantly. “You did? Ah, I take it you used the ingredients well?”

“And the vacuum was useful, but you need a hot water kettle,” Yami said steadily, speaking over him. “Did you know, there’s a pretty lady that lives next door?”

“A pretty lady?” he said, frowning slightly. “Looking for a new girlfriend already, Murata-san?”

Yami shook his head, calling over his shoulder. “I like men!”

And without waiting to see the professor’s reaction, he strode into the bathroom to run hot water into the tub.

* * *

Isono swung the door open for Kaiba, letting him sweep in past him.

 Mokuba came rushing down from upstairs, throwing his arms around his older brother’s waist, his voice muffled by Kaiba’s coat. “Seto! You were out late!”

“Get dressed,” Seto said hoarsely, giving Mokuba a gentle pat on the head. “The police are coming in just a few minutes.”

“Kay,” Mokuba said happily, racing back upstairs to change out of his lounge wear.

Isono felt his blood run cold as he shut the door hastily. Police?!

Yami’s suit which allegedly had blood on it had yet to be burned. It was still sitting in the lab in the basement. The results hadn’t come back yet.

Seto straightened up and glanced around, wondering why Yami hadn’t come running too. Was he still angry? Goddammit.

“Mr. Kaiba,” Isono said shakily, staring at the silver ring sitting plainly on his forefinger. “We need to talk.”

“Yeah, I fucking agree,” Seto growled, loosening his tie and draping it over his arm as he ascended the grand staircase.

Isono held his breath, watching as Seto paused at Yami’s door and gave it a firm knock. “Yami…come out. We need to talk.”

He swallowed nervously, watching Kaiba sigh and walk away slowly, looking visibly tired.

Mokuba’s head appeared beside his elbow, his eyes wide with curiosity. “Yami hasn’t come out all day, Isono. Did you say something to him?”

“I haven’t seen him all day either,” Isono said coldly. “Get changed as your brother requested, young Mokuba.”

Seto checked the floor beside the connecting door, dismayed to see that there was no response to the letter he had written to Yami two days ago. What the hell?

Damn, when Yami was angry, his fury was apparent in the subtlest ways.

“What is it, Master Kaiba?” Isono asked gently, standing by the door, seeing Kaiba staring strangely at the floor beside the connecting door, knowing full well that Seto was expecting to see a reply.

“You’re bullying Yami,” Seto said loudly, hoping his voice would carry through the door, and Yami would come to see what the commotion was about. Would it kill him to show his face for a bit?

“I’m doing no such thing,” Isono murmured, clasping his hands in front of him defensively. It was good that Yami had left. The police were coming…now! What would they do if they found out they were housing an illegal foreigner?

Master Kaiba was being blinded by Yami’s attractiveness.

“Well—” Seto was cut off by the loud ringing of the doorbell, and he swallowed his next words, his heart thundering nervously in his chest. Shit. He had neglected to recover the feeds because he had thrown himself into his work.

“Let’s answer the door,” Isono said solemnly, turning to rush down the grand staircase, swinging the door open quickly. He was startled to see a small team of officers, carrying empty boxes, all wearing gloves and masks.

Oh…this was…a house inspection. This wasn’t just an ordinary visit! They were in trouble!

“W-Welcome,” Isono stammered, feeling Mokuba rush to his side and cling to his leg.

“Whoa…” Mokuba said nervously, backing away slowly and accidentally treading on Seto’s toe, hearing a hiss of pain behind him.

“Please come in,” Kaiba said coldly, nodding at the chief officer. “I have nothing to hide.”

 _Yes, you do!_ Isono thought frantically, slipping out his handkerchief, thinking that the love letters between Kaiba and Yami were in the drawer. If Kaiba was asked to open the drawers, it would be discovered…!

“Please excuse me,” Isono mumbled, bowing deeply and straightening up again. “Do you need a tour of our home?”

“I know we spoke on the phone, Mr. Kaiba,” the chief officer said, shaking his head at Isono. “We have permission from Mr. Kaiba to enter, but we may need your permission to open locked doors and drawers.”

 _Oh no!_ Isono thought darkly, melting away behind Kaiba and slowly making his way up the steps, hearing the officer call out to him sternly. “Wait!”

Sweating, Isono turned to duck his head down politely, shaking from head to toe. “Yes, officer?”

“Let us search your bodies before anything else,” the officer said, and Seto blinked, feeling his blood run cold. “We know you were expecting our arrival, and we need to know you aren’t hiding evidence under your clothes.”

 _Holy shit,_ Seto thought, growing numb all over. He _was_ being suspected!

He watched Isono stand at the bottom of the staircase, holding his arms out to his sides while another officer patted him down, slipping his gloved hands into his each of his pockets, even asking him to unbutton his blazer so they could inspect the lining.

Slightly terrified, Seto allowed himself to be led aside as the chief officer apologized profusely, before beginning to pat him down as well.

Holy…shit…Yami was not going to take this well.

“Please call all the staff to the front so that we may search them as well,” the officer said genially and Seto nodded, feeling empty.

He slipped out his phone and tapped the button three times, sending a vibration to all the buttons his staff was wearing.

Okawa was sitting on the toilet when two solid vibrations echoed around the bathroom.

He frowned, glancing around, wondering if Murata-san had left his cell phone in the bathroom.

He wiped and flushed, glancing around for the source of the noise, noticing a flash of silver in the far corner, and he reached down behind the toilet to pick it up, deeply shocked to discover that it was a Kaiba Corporation pin badge.

A tiny green light was blinking through the metal in the top corner of the chrome ‘K’ and Okawa paused for a moment as the memory came back to him in a sudden rush.

This boy that was staying with him now… _was_ one of his students, but he wasn’t from the university!

He was…the incredibly intelligent foreigner who Mr.Kaiba had hired him to look after for one lesson.

His name was definitely not Murata-san!  
In fact, they probably didn’t have sex that night he came back drunk!  
That boy had probably sought him out purposely that night.  
  
Was this boy taking advantage of him?

Suddenly terrified, Okawa frowned down at the pin in his hand.  
Was the foreigner being called back to the Kaiba mansion?  
  
He recalled seeing a large overnight bag in the hallway and he clutched the pin tightly.  
It seemed that the boy was…running.

Was this really okay?

Nervous, Okawa strode out of the bathroom and glanced around, looking for the foreigner, desperately trying to recall his name. This boy had played him, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to be angry.

He hadn’t been robbed. Instead, he had been gently cared for.

The foreigner had been polite and extremely helpful through his stay. Aside from his rough language, his actions were warm and caring.

Okawa walked up the stairs and pushed open his bedroom door, seeing the boy sleeping on the floor rolled up underneath the spare futon.

He sighed, ruffling his hair in frustration, gazing at the alarm clock on his nightstand.  
  
It was four in the afternoon, and it seemed like this boy’s days and nights were flipped.

They would talk when he woke up.

He walked down the steps and found the overnight bag, still sitting in the hallway. He tucked the pin back into one of the flaps on the side and moved towards the couch.  
  
He would wait for the stranger to wake up and they could talk honestly about the situation he was in.

* * *

Isono’s mind raced for a solution. He needed to get to those love letters before the police did.

“Officers,” Isono said gently, clearing his throat, seeing all the uniforms in the living room pause and stare at him. “We intend to cooperate fully. Our drawers are all fingerprint locked. I will go upstairs and unlock every drawer for your convenience.”

“An officer will go with you,” the chief said, and Isono nodded, feeling his heart sinking deeper into his stomach. There was no escaping.

He walked up the stairs, feeling the officer following him closely at his heels.

He stepped into Kaiba’s office and walked slowly over to the desk, his heart thudding painfully in his throat, thinking he should’ve just burned the letters…but Master Kaiba’s heart would be intensely broken if that were the case.

If Master Kaiba never saw Yami again, he was sure that the letters were something that Kaiba wanted to keep.

“Is it here?” a female voice rang curiously out from behind him and Isono tensed, nodding sadly.

He knelt by the drawers behind Kaiba’s desk and pressed his thumb along all of the handles, hearing each one click open softly, his skin burning as he could feel the officer watching his every move intently.

He raised his gaze, realizing that she wasn’t looking at him, but was gazing wistfully around the room with a strange look on her face. Ah…perhaps…this would work too.

He slowly set one of the heavy leather files on the desk and held his breath, reaching his hand down to the very bottom, trying to find the stack of letters with his fingertips.

“What is this?” she asked lightly, grabbing it and flipping it open. She gasped softly and stared incredulously at the shiny photograph of a pretty brunette woman. “An arranged marriage?”

She blinked, turning the page with great interest, and Isono grabbed this chance to slip the stack of letters out and safely tuck it into the pocket of his blazer.

“Please don’t spread it around,” Isono said darkly, thinking he would help Master Kaiba’s plans for announcing an engagement. The rumors would fly quickly.  
It could be anyone. It just couldn’t be the strange, spiky-haired foreigner.

“Is this her?” the officer asked, sounding slightly dismayed.

Isono shook his head and straightened up steadily, feeling much calmer now that he had safely hidden the love letters on his body. “I’m not too sure myself. He doesn’t talk to me about it.”

“I’ll leave you to your devices,” Isono said carefully, stepping out from behind the desk and bowing hastily. He rushed out of the room and back down the stairs, freezing with shock when he saw more officers swarming the main living area.

These officers were wearing white, and all had arm bands that clearly read, “Immigrations.”

Oh…what fresh hell was this?

He caught a frantic look from Master Kaiba and a quick shake of his head. No.  
  
No? No what?

Unsure of how to react, Isono stayed standing in the middle of the stairway, watching two immigration officers brush past him and walk intrusively into Mokuba’s room.

“Hey! That’s my room!” Mokuba said angrily, and Seto brought his hand strongly down on Mokuba’s shoulder, giving him a tight squeeze.  
Did Mokuba know that they were in deep shit?  
How could he portray this to his little brother without arousing suspicion?

“Mokuba…” Seto said lightly, giving his brother’s shoulder a tighter squeeze. “They’re not here to take your toys. It’s not like you have a friend to share them with anyway.”

Mokuba blinked and stared at him for a long moment before nodding silently and staring down at his toes, his ears reddening. “Yeah, I don’t have anyone to play with. You’re right, Seto.”

Seto nodded tightly, praying desperately that Yami was savvy enough to hide somewhere unnoticeable.  
  
Had Isono gone up there to hide Yami?

Thank god that old man was so loyal.

“Well, Mr. Kaiba,” the chief of immigrations bowed deeply to him as he pressed a finger to his ear, clearly receiving an update from his co-workers upstairs. “We’re deeply sorry, but we take every accusation seriously.”

“Accusation?” Seto asked lightly, curling his fist in his pocket, knowing full well that that bitch Annabelle was responsible for this.

“Yes, we received an anonymous tip that you might have been housing an illegal foreigner for several months, but there is no evidence of any such person in your private living quarters.”

“I see,” Seto said angrily, feeling Mokuba tense beside him. “Make sure you check staff living quarters too if you want to be thorough.”

“We already have,” the officer said lightly, bobbing his head politely. “Thank you for being unusually cooperative.”

“Found this in the nightstand!” a female voice called from upstairs and Seto felt his heart drop to his feet. Fuck. Fuck. What was it?! Fuck. Was it something with Yami’s handwriting?

All heads turned to face her as she held two items above her head. One was a picture frame from several years ago, and a bright red Arabic to Japanese dictionary.

Yami’s dictionary. Shit. Shit. Shit.

“What is it?” the chief officer asked, and the immigration officer nodded in agreement, and Seto felt nausea clawing its way up his stomach.

“A translation dictionary for Arabic into Japanese which was lodged under an old photo frame,” she said, looking at both items doubtfully. “You said to report all foreign items….”

And Seto felt the heat from all the eyes in the room turn on him.

He blinked rapidly, forcing himself to smile confidently.

“Did you find the other copy?” he asked, hearing his voice echoing through the expectant silence in the room. “There should be an Japanese to Arabic dictionary too. How else do I learn a language when it only goes one way?”

“You’re learning Arabic?” the immigrations officer said, nodding at him with great interest.

“Actually, I gave up,” Seto lied carefully. “So I tossed it into a drawer with an old picture frame.”

“Would this have anything to do with a visit from the liason in your office?” the chief officer asked curiously, and Seto nodded, thinking he couldn’t escape being tied to Maeda-san, so he might as well admit it.

“When I learn a language, I try to do it thoroughly,” Seto said, trying his best to sound earnest. “I wanted to hire a conversationalist, but I quit after one session.”

Rahim Maeda was dead, so he could say anything he wanted. That was the glory of dead people and Seto was now slightly thankful that Rahim was dead.  
This protected him quite well.

“Well if that’s it, we’re finished here,” the chief officer said, bowing deeply, and Kaiba leaned forward to bow as well, feeling Mokuba bob his head beside him. “We’ve wasted enough of your time, Mr. Kaiba.”

“You’re damn right,” Seto responded arrogantly. “Get the hell off my property.”

He saw the men share a look of relief before they filed out of his house silently, noticing that the boxes they all carried were empty. He had a sneaking suspicion that they were supposed to be for Yami’s clothes and possessions…if they had found him. Damn.  
Yami really had the abilities of a ghost.

Isono watched all the black cars drive past the gate on the brightly-lit screen beside the door, and he waited until the last one had left before pressing the button with a shaking hand, seeing the gate slide closed before he let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Where is he?” Mokuba asked shakily, grabbing onto Seto’s hand and letting go quickly when he realized Seto’s hand was just as cold and clammy as his own.  
Those police officers were all looking for Yami!  
And there had been so many of them! Why did they need to send an army of people after Yami?!

“He’s…safe,” Isono said weakly, thinking they couldn’t go around the house addressing Yami by name anymore, lest the maids heard them talk.

“I’m going to kill her,” Seto seethed, storming up the steps. If Annabelle was going to “anonymously” send immigration to his house, he would do his best to expose her and her dirty father “anonymously” too.

He paused in his step, hearing Mokuba let out a strangled sob, and he turned around slowly, seeing Isono patting Mokuba’s back gently.

He froze, realizing he wasn’t aware of how stressful that had been…for Mokuba.

He rushed back down the stairs to pull his brother into an embrace, feeling Mokuba’s tears soaking into his shoulder while he hiccupped incoherently. “Th-They’re no-not g-g-gonna...t-t-take him a-wuh-…a-wuh-…ay…right-t?”

“No, Mokuba, that won’t happen,” Seto said reassuringly, feeling Isono hovering anxiously over them both. “He’s very good at hiding, see?”

 _Indeed,_ Isono thought fearfully, and he couldn’t help but wonder where Yami was right now. Seeing the two Kaiba brothers embracing each other while worrying deeply about a stranger they had just met a few months ago was heartbreaking.

* * *

Yami lifted his head slowly, his head throbbing strangely with an exhaustion headache. It was pitch dark in the room, except for the light coming from the bright green numbers glowing on the alarm clock which read 10:45 PM.

Another day. He had slept through another day.

Rising to his feet, Yami decided he would take a bath in the large bathtub today. It would remind him of being back in the mansion…

He walked down the stairs and was surprised to see Okawa sitting on the couch, his eyes nailed to the TV, his eyes watering strangely.

“Good morning…or evening,” Yami said tentatively, and he saw the man turn his head at him, deep fear etched across his features, and Yami tensed, the hair rising along his arms. Something was wrong.

“Who are you?” the professor asked in a fearful whisper, and Yami swallowed tightly, his mouth going dry as he realized he had been discovered.

“No one,” Yami answered truthfully. He could say that, because he was not officially documented in this country.

“Come watch this, and then I want you to get out of my house,” Okawa said shakily, pointing at the TV, attempting to sound cold, but he only came off sounding scared.

Yami nodded and moved towards the screen, seeing the pause button in the top corner. Suddenly, the images began whirring backwards quickly as Okawa rewound the recording, and Yami caught a glimpse of several images.

Seto’s hand with the silver ring.  
Seto and Mokuba’s faces.  
Blurred images above two grim-looking newscasters.

Police officers with red armbands were pictured swarming the front of the Kaiba mansion, and the TV began playing at a normal speed.

“Today, Immigration officers and Domino police raided the Kaiba residence after an anonymous tip was called in, accusing the Kaiba family of housing an illegal resident for months. The caller was strangely specific, even detailing the exact day of the foreigner’s arrival…”

Images of officers and police cars parked in a dark mass in front of the beautiful blue fountain was displayed while the female newscaster continued to speak, and Yami felt his heart stop in his chest.

“…but Domino Police and Immigrations have not found any evidence of an illegal resident in the Kaiba Mansion.”

Yami blinked, feeling his entire body slowly growing numb as he was acutely aware of Okawa shuffling nervously on the couch behind him.  
  
Oh…this was bad.  
  
But…it was good that he wasn’t in the mansion when Immigrations went to search the house!

The male newscaster nodded solemnly as the photo on the screen changed to show blurred out images, and Yami could barely recognize the carpet of the cruise ship in the lower corner of the only unblurred portion of the photo.

“This was immediately after Seto Kaiba’s luxury cruise incident, where an apparent murder-suicide happened on board while all the camera feeds were down. Everyone…”

Yami blinked, feeling his entire body slowly growing numb as his ears began ringing.  
  
This was extremely bad.  
Were they now looking for the foreigner who was on the ship with Seto Kaiba?!

He forced himself to focus, using every ounce of his strength to understand what the newscaster was saying.

“Reports of a foreigner seen accompanying Seto Kaiba…”

 _There it is,_ Yami thought, as he began panicking fully.

“But the name of said foreigner was of the deceased man, and this information was given by a staff member onboard, who was questioned after having had contact with the foreigner. The foreigner is actually a Japanese citizen, but his family has asked us not to disclose…”

 _It worked,_ Yami thought faintly, gripping the sides of his shorts tightly.

“This foreigner…ah, sorry, this Japanese citizen was also seen in Seto Kaiba’s office. They are apparently close friends who have had fights, but they were seen being very amicable towards each other while on the ship. An eyewitness states…”

 _Ha, Rahim and my owner, fat chance,_ Yami thought spitefully, seeing the TV pause, and he slowly turned around to face Okawa, dreading what he was about to hear.

“This situation…is messy,” Okawa said shakily. “There is a bit more, so please understand why I want you to leave after watching this.”

“Play it,” Yami hissed, feeling his heart thudding painfully in his chest.

His time here was up anyway.

“Incidentally,” The female newscaster tossed a curl of hair over her shoulder, “This was just after Seto Kaiba had subtly shown off an engagement ring on the front steps of his office….”

Yami bit back a solid gasp when the photo of Seto standing confidently tall while his secretary hid behind him with both of her hands covering her face, showing that she wore no ring.

“…. suspected relationship between Mr. Kaiba and his secretary have been denounced as she personally denied having knowledge of his engagement.”

 _True,_ Yami thought viciously, watching intently, feeling himself sweat nervously.

“So the hunt is on, for the lucky woman who wears the matching ring on her finger.” The male newscaster said, looking more upbeat. “Crowds of women have come forth, showing photos of the same ring on social media, claiming to be the one he has engaged, but we have yet to hear from one credible source…”

Yami bit back a delirious laugh. Interesting.

“And it seems all our attention have been monopolized by Seto Kaiba this week!” The female newscaster gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “There is a three-day event tomorrow, hosted by Maximillion Pegasus, where Seto Kaiba has generously donated fifty of his newest duel disks…”

The TV paused, and Yami tried to calm himself down.  
He needed to contain the situation he was in right now.  
  
Okawa undoubtedly remembered who he was, and had put two and two together.

He was the illegal immigrant staying in the Kaiba residence, but he was not the Japanese citizen who was killed on the ship…which definitely made him the illegal immigrant. Dammit.

It was hard to lie to someone who already had all the puzzle pieces. Time to leave.

“You see?” Okawa said, trying to sound reasonable, but his fear was apparent. “Please understand that I don’t want Immigrations coming here too--”

“I was never here,” Yami interrupted him firmly. “First, I will use your restroom for a quick wash, and I was never here. You don’t know me. I’ve never heard of you.”

Yami saw the man stiffen and nod. Good. He had secured a shower, and after this, he was back out on the street for an indefinite period.

If everyone was watching TV, they would know that there was an illegal citizen running around.

No household was safe. Only the streets.

Sighing in resignation, Yami decided he would enjoy being clean for one last night before letting the filth consume him again.

* * *

Seto had successfully tucked Mokuba into bed after having spent the entire evening calming him down, clearing a level with him on a video game while Yami was still nowhere to be seen.

His mind was consumed with thoughts of Yami as he left Mokuba’s room and strode across the hallway to knock softly on Yami’s door.

There was no answer, and Seto’s frowned, thinking something felt off.

He pushed the door open quietly, calling out Yami’s name in the dark room.

There was no answer.

He tapped the light switch on and received a slight shock.

The room looked unlived in.  
The bed was neatly made.  
The desk was completely clear of papers and pens.  
The closet doors were wide open and all the hangers were empty.

His heart pounded fiercely in his chest as he strode into the bathroom and hit the lights on with a resounding click.

Empty.

The shelf which usually held spare towels was bare, and the soap that usually sat at the edge of the bathtub was gone. This bathroom looked as if it had been unused for days.

Did Yami do this? Did Isono do this?! How did they do this in such a short time?

His confusion rising higher, Seto had an inkling of what had happened, but he pushed the thought away, deeply in denial as he pulled open all the desk drawers.

Empty. Everything was gone.

No pens, no paper, nothing.

Impressive…?

“Yami!” Seto called, feeling his lungs being crushed by invisible hands squeezing the air out of them.

Mokuba heard Seto call Yami’s name and his eyes shot open. He held his breath, listening to Seto’s footsteps echoing across the hardwood floor, and a door slammed.

Seto spied the picture frame and red dictionary sitting on the foot of his bed and he sighed with relief. Yami was under the bed! His favorite hiding spot.

He dove under the bed, grinning and shining his phone light under the space, “Yami, it’s safe to come out.”

There was no one under the bed.

Seto blinked rapidly and sat back on his heels, his stomach twisting with a strange feeling. Okay…Okay…

With a shaking hand, he tapped on his phone screen and accessed the GPS on Yami’s bracelets, seeing the two dots sitting downstairs, in the garage, inside one of his cars.

Ah, smart Yami. Of course he wouldn’t hide in the bedroom where he could easily be found. Had he somehow managed to wedge himself into the back of his trunk?

Seto leapt to his feet and rushed down the stairs, through the hallway towards the garage, feeling as if he was about to explode.  
He ached to hold Yami in his arms.  
He couldn’t think of one thing he wanted to do more right this second.

Mokuba blinked softly under the covers, hearing Seto’s footsteps thumping down the stairs and his stomach churned terribly.  
Oh no…something was wrong.  
Seto was running around…looking for Yami.

“Yami, come out, stupid,” Mokuba said gruffly, throwing the covers off himself and peering under his bed, kicking the bed frame gently. “Hey! Are you there?”

He snatched his phone up from his nightstand and used it as a flashlight to peer under the bed, seeing only the blank space of the wall shining eerily back at him.

Mokuba bit back a confused sigh and curled up under the covers again, hoping Seto hurry up and come back upstairs with Yami, and then he would hug Yami tightly in return.

Seto burst into the garage breathlessly, snatching the entire hanger of keys off its hook and methodically circling every single one of his vehicles.

White Lamborghini. He opened all the doors and the trunk. Nothing. Empty.

Next car.

Wait.

He dropped the stack of keys onto the floor and grabbed his phone, tapping the GPS again, calling out Yami’s name frantically. “Hey! Yami, come out!”

The two red dots were blinking a few feet away, and he dashed towards his white Mercedes, yanking open the passenger door and seeing two, matching golden bracelets sitting together on the leather seat, and Seto’s heart stopped in his chest.

What.

He blinked, picking them up slowly, weighing them in his hand. Yami had taken off the bracelets?! Then…was he really in Mokuba’s room yesterday?!

Swallowing the terrible lump that was choking the air out of him, Seto gripped the bracelets tightly as he ran back into the house, not caring that he was making noise.  
  
Everyone needed to be awake. Someone…anyone…and everyone needed to tell him where the _fuck_ Yami was.

His thighs burned as he took the stairs four at a time, and he barged into Mokuba’s room, racing to the bed and giving his brother a rough shake, feeling as if he was on the verge of tears.

“Ow…ow! What!” Mokuba cried, squirming underneath the covers and surfacing to give his older brother a glare.

“Where is he?!” Seto gasped, feeling himself slipping dangerously. “Was he in here with you last night?!”

“No, I thought he was with you!” Mokuba said slowly as his eyes widened. “But you didn’t come home last night…so I guess he wasn’t.”

“Where was he the day before?!” Seto asked wildly, wondering why he was asking Mokuba this when he should be asking…Isono.

“Isono!” Seto thundered, striding out of Mokuba’s room, seeing Isono standing at the foot of the stairs, holding a tray with coffee, looking oddly frightened.

“Master Kaiba?”

“Where is he?” Kaiba hissed, curling his fists at his sides. Had Isono hid Yami somewhere, and he had suffocated and died?  
Why did his mind immediately go towards death?  
Yami wasn’t fucking dead…! Was he?!

“The foreigner?” Isono asked quietly, his hands shaking so much the coffee threatened to spill out from over the sides of the cup. “The last time I saw him…was on the day you returned from the cruise.”

“That was three fucking days ago!” Seto shouted, whirling around and storming into his room, shaking with anger and distress. No one had seen Yami since then?!

Seto stood very still in the middle of his room, feeling as if the world was crumbling.  
  
Impossible.  
Yami was here.  
Yami was here, somewhere in this fucking house. He would find him.

The bracelets were a diversion.  
  
Yami was taunting him, showing him that he had known about the GPS since day one.  
  
Yami was playing a game, as usual.

Seto rushed out of his room and down the stairs again, almost tripping over Mokuba on the way down, hearing Mokuba cry out frantically behind him. “W-Wait, he’s not here?!”

“Oh, he’s here,” Seto said, feeling the corners of his mouth turn upwards into a smile, but his heart felt as if it was being ripped in two. “We’ll find him. He’s playing hide-and-seek, Mokuba.”

Yami was here.  
  
Yami had nowhere to go.  
  
Where else would he be?  
  
Of course, Yami was here.  
  
Yami had not left him.  
  
Yami would not leave him.  
   
That was inexcusable.

“I’ll help! I’m good at hide-and-seek!” Mokuba cried, dashing down the stairs to join his brother, and he ran down the hallway towards the study. “I’ll check in here, you check the kitchen Seto!”

Isono blinked steadily, feeling his eyes heating up strangely as he watched the Kaiba brothers tear the mansion apart, upending chairs, tables, opening and closing all the large cabinets, calling Yami’s name with a tone of contained desperation.

Should he say something?  
He should say something.

* * *

**Author’s note:**

Published on a Wednesday! Thank you for reading yet another chapter! Thank you YLJE for your tireless work and edits!

Okay so you know how I said this fic was "ending" about 10 chapters ago? (cuz i usually cap out at 20-something chapters?) well im happy to say that i have reached a new personal milestone with this story, reaching 30 chapters!

Thank you so much for giving my words the time of day! In eternally grateful that you all see my hard work and efforts! I'm up at 3 AM writing a smut-filled finale for you guys in chapter 30!

Wish me luck!

hugs and kisses,  
UGLI


	28. I am your monster!

Yami stepped out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed, but the pit of dread was still swirling low in his chest. Time to go back out onto the streets.

 _I guess that’s where I really belong,_ Yami thought sadly, thinking it was all the same anyway. He had been trafficked to a foreign country but somehow the streets were where he was the safest.

Okawa was standing in front of the door with his arms tightly crossed, looking deeply troubled.

Yami reached for his shoes and looped the strap of his bag over his shoulder, indifferent to the professor’s distress.

“Does anyone know you’re here?” the man spoke after a while, and Yami shook his head.

“I’m not stupid enough to tell anyone where I am. I’m a ghost,” Yami said darkly, shoving his feet into his shoes, wishing the professor would step aside.

“Then…you can leave tomorrow morning when I go to work,” Okawa said uncertainly, wavering where he stood. “No one works into the night looking for someone who might not exist. A ghost could be sleeping in my upstairs futon for all I know.”

Yami blinked, feeling his heart skip beats in his chest as he realized that this man was being kind. Offering a roof over his head for one last night.

“The ghost accepts your offer,” Yami said firmly, bowing forward deeply, and on second thought, he hastily apologized for his earlier deception. “I’m sorry that had to lie…to secure my safety. Please understand.”

“I might be going crazy because I hear a ghost apologizing,” the man responded with wry smile. “I think I’ll avoid sleeping upstairs tonight because I’m superstitious.”

Yami smiled gratefully and shrugged the bag strap off his shoulder, racing back through the apartment and up the stairs. He would force himself to sleep, because this was his last night resting under something soft and safe.

* * *

“Master Kaiba…” Isono began hesitantly, seeing Kaiba on his knees beside the large velvet lounge, his shoulders shaking as he kept his head lowered, clearly no longer looking for Yami.

“Tell me where he is,” Seto said quietly, and Mokuba ran back into the living room panting, sounding close to tears. “He’s not anywhere! I can’t find him! Can’t he hear us looking for him?!”

Seto sat back on his heels, feeling tears building behind his eyes.

“Perhaps, we should check the camera feeds,” Isono suggested gently, knowing that Kaiba could view Yami’s send-off in private, and then choose to show Mokuba later at his own discretion. “Mokuba, let’s get you to bed. Running around this time of night isn’t good for your body.”

Mokuba glared ferociously at him, stamping his foot angrily. “No! I’m staying awake until Yami comes out!”

“Master Kaiba, this is ridiculous,” Isono said testily, rounding on the older Kaiba, hoping he had enough sense not to drag his younger brother into his madness.

Seto slowly rose to his feet and grabbed Mokuba by the hand, pulling him up the stairs, feeling Mokuba struggle and resist lightly. “Seto...w-wait…!”

“If you go to bed quietly, I’ll find Yami,” Seto chanted, feeling numb all over. “Okay?”

He would find Yami no matter what.

“Fine,” Mokuba said glumly, twisting his arm out of his grasp and walking into his room of his own accord. “I don’t need you to tuck me in again.”

Seto watched his brother slam the door, and he sighed tightly, feeling Isono follow him into his room.

He had a sinking feeling that Isono was somehow involved.  
Isono knew where Yami was, and wasn’t telling him.

He sat down angrily behind his desk and flipped his laptop open, accessing the feeds around the house.

Seto easily found footage from three days ago and watched Yami stand in the living room, talking with Isono, bowing deeply, looking ashamed.

“What did he say to you?” Seto asked roughly, seeing Isono shake his head silently and stare at the ground.

Irritated, Seto continued watching as Isono pulled Yami’s suit out of the bag, and after a moment, Yami raced up the steps. He switched to the hallway cameras, watching Yami hesitate in the hallway before knocking on Mokuba’s door. He disappeared into Mokuba’s room for a few minutes before rushing out to enter the guest room.

Seto frowned, watching Yami exit the room and wipe tears away from his cheeks, and he felt his stomach twist terribly. Oh shit. Yami had left his room crying…because he had refused his advances?

He watched as a guard escorted Yami out the front door and across the driveway to the front gates where Isono was waiting, holding the duffel bag.

“What is happening?” Seto whispered, watching Yami bow deeply to Isono and grab the bag, turning to walk right out the front gates.

What the…fuck?!

What the hell was this?!

Yami had said…goodbye?! Why the hell was he leaving? Why did Isono just help him out the front door?

“You still don’t understand?” Isono asked sadly, shaking his head worriedly. Master Kaiba was usually sharp. Maybe something was blocking him from mentally connecting the dots.

Did he need to show Master Kaiba the lab results from the suit? They had been completed a few hours after the officers had left their property. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to check them himself.

“What the hell is this?!” Seto hissed, rising to his feet, shaking with rage. Isono had betrayed him. Why did he just let Yami walk out the front doors?!

“H-Here…” Isono said quietly. Sensing an imminent breakdown, he held out his phone and tapped on the voice messages.

He held his breath, hearing a soft rustling coming from the speakerphone, and Kaiba stiffened furiously, crossing his arms across his chest, glaring at him.

_“Item: one bespoke men’s suit. Color: Black…”_

There was soft breathing and more rustling.

 _“The entire fabric has been doused in chlorine, but after several swabs, the organic materials we found were as followed: saliva, digested food, bile, and blood. Two types of blood…”_ the male voice continued heavily, and Seto felt his heart drop to his feet so suddenly, his chest hurt.

_“…and we got one solid swab from the edge of one of the shoes…Type O…and another lightly contaminated sample from the sleeve, AB negative…a very rare type.”_

Isono trembled visibly, thinking he had been right to send Yami away. Even if he was innocent, this evidence was very damning indeed.

Seto gripped the edge of the desk, his mind spinning so fast, he felt nauseous as the male lab technician’s voice continued to warble out from the speakerphone.

“ _In conclusion, before we throw this into the incinerator, Mr. Kaiba, we believe that this suit has been through the wrecker. The wearer of this suit was...at a…crazy party or something._  
  
Vomited, got bled on by several people after getting into a fight, and was probably thrown into the swimming pool at some point. Not in that order. Is that all?”

There was more soft rustling as the man consulted his partner, and a female voice echoed from Isono’s phone. _“That is all.”_

Seto pressed his palms into his eyes so tightly, he saw green.

So, that just confirmed that Yami was in the room with some dead bodies. That didn’t make Yami a murderer. He didn’t have to run away for that…because lawyers were invented for this purpose exactly.

“I’ll leave you alone now,” Isono said quietly, backing away and stepping out of the room, eager to escape before Kaiba’s real meltdown happened.  
Yami was affiliated with a murder-suicide.  
Yami was also an illegal citizen.  
Combining both of those factors, it was unlikely that once he was caught, he would be allowed to stay in Japan.

Deportation was imminent, and when that happened, it was better that Kaiba’s name wasn’t attached to any of it.

“He’s innocent!” Kaiba shouted after Isono. “They’re not looking at me anymore! He can come back!”

Shaking furiously, Seto set his jaw and accessed the cruise ship’s feed, typing in a string of code that would reverse the virus he had originally inputted, and he leaned back into his seat, waiting for everything to recover, wondering why he was acting so calm when he was panicking so much on the inside.

On one hand, they had been saved by Isono’s intuition, but that meant Yami was somewhere outside, fending for himself!

Where would Yami have gone?! It was dark outside…which meant, he was either out on the street or….

Seto pinched the brow of his nose, taking deep breaths, willing himself to keep it together. Yami wouldn’t whore himself out for room and board.  
Yami was smart. He would find a way.  
  
Yami loved him.  
Yami loved him, right?

Lowering his hands onto the desk, Seto blinked, feeling heated tears curling down his cheeks.  
Wow, fuck. Fuck this.

 _“I love you, Seto,”_ Yami’s face flashed across his consciousness, and Seto flinched when he remembered pulling away roughly and ignoring him.

 _“You love me, right?”_ Yami’s tearful face floated to the front of his mind again, this time, he was being embraced tightly in the bathroom, and he had pulled away, feeling angry.

 _“Seto…I love you,”_ Yami sighed while sitting heavily on his lap, and Seto tensed, gripping his hair in frustration as he felt a painful pressure building in his temples.

 _I’ve never said it back!_ Seto thought deliriously, his hands tightening through his hair so hard, he could feel them ripping out from the roots.

His eyes watered heavily again and tears dripped down the end of his nose, landing on the touchpad of his laptop, and he stared at the small rounded drops, wondering if this was what he deserved.

 _Yami didn’t leave me because he doesn’t love me_ , Seto thought shakily, slowly rising to his feet and punching his fist down against his desk, his knuckles stinging so painfully they grew numb. _Yami left me because he thinks I don’t love him back!_

A wave of searing rage consumed him and Seto swept his laptop violently off his desk, seeing it crash into the wall somewhere to his left, and it shattered to pieces.

Unable to stop himself, Seto strode over to the bed and tore the sheets off, frantically gathering the fabric in his arms as if Yami was somehow hiding beneath them, waiting for him.

His body burned with a terrible fire as he realized there was probably no way he could find Yami now that he had discarded his bracelets.

He could be halfway across Japan by now…!

Seto let out a furious yell and pried open the doors of his closet, ripping the clothes off their hangers and tossing them to the ground, spying the duffel bag from their trip and he grabbed that too, heaving it across the room, seeing it hit the headboard with a heavy thunk and land on his pillows.

He stared at the picture frame and dictionary sliding off the edge of the bed and fall to the floor with a loud clatter and thunk.

Breathing heavily, Seto grabbed the dictionary and began ripping the pages out of it hysterically, hating himself, hating everything.  
Maybe he deserved to die.  
He treated everyone like garbage, so it was only fair that this was his punishment.

He sat on the floor with the tattered pages scattered around him, his cheeks burning with tears as he held the empty cover in his hands.

Glancing down at the backing, he caught a line of Yami’s neat, rounded handwriting in Arabic, and through the blur of his tears, Seto could barely read the text in his delirium.

_“Please think of me. I’ll think of you often.”_

Seto blinked, licking his lips dryly as his breathing grew ragged.  
Okay.  
What the hell did this mean?  
It didn’t say “I hate you,” so that was a start.

Did Yami keep his ring?!

Holding onto that sliver of hope, Seto rose to his feet and stumbled through the connecting door, and began pulling out the drawers of the desk again, throwing them down to the ground by his feet with a loud crash.

He knew it was empty, but he had to check anyway.  
This drawer was empty, but he would check the others just in case.  
This drawer was empty, but there were still all the other drawers in the house.  
Where would Yami leave the ring?  
  
Seto knew he was acting crazy, but he had to make sure…that Yami didn’t leave the ring behind.

Because if he did….

Because if he did…that would mean…

“S-Seto?”

Mokuba gripped the doorframe fearfully, seeing his brother kneeling on the floor in front of Yami’s desk, with the empty drawers strewn around him, looking slightly mad. His hair was disheveled, and his shirt had lost two buttons.

Seto ignored him and strode back into his room, and Mokuba hurried in after him, swallowing fearfully as he spied the tremendous mess all around the room.

Clothes were laying everywhere. Shreds of paper littered the carpet, mixed in with bits of glass from the broken picture frame.

The sheets had been ripped off the bed and they were lying in a crumpled heap on the far side of the room. The TV had a large crack in the corner, and now, Seto was upending his desk, pulling out all of the silver drawers and emptying them upside-down onto the floor and sifting through the papers like a madman.

“Seto…!” Mokuba bit back a frantic sob as he rushed across the room to confront his brother. His feet stung as a stray shard of glass caught under his heel, but Mokuba ignored it, leaping over another mess of clothes. “Please stop! I’ll sleep now! You don’t have to find him anymore! He’ll come back!”

Seto didn’t seem to hear him. He was still digging through the drawers frantically, his eyes wild, his cheeks wet, and his brown bangs were matted messily against his forehead.

Mokuba slowly sank down to the floor in a sitting position, stunned.  
Yami had left.  
Yami had left!  
Why?!  
Why would Yami do this to Seto?! Yami clearly loved Seto!

He saw Seto raise his head to look right through him, his shoulders shaking with emotion. “I’ll find him.”

“I know you will, Seto,” Mokuba said worriedly, curling his fingers into his palms tightly, feeling himself sweat. “You’ll find him and bring him back.”

Where could Yami have gone? Would the Immigration Police find him and throw him in jail? Could Seto get Yami out of jail? Where was Yami?!

Seto took deep ragged breaths, willing himself to stop crying. Could he fucking stop crying?!

He brushed the back of his hand roughly across his cheeks, spying blood on the floor beside Mokuba’s foot.

He froze, his vision sharpening instantly as he saw that Mokuba had cut his foot while running across broken glass.

Deeply mortified, Seto stood on shaking legs and swept his brother up from the floor, taking long strides over the piles of destruction to plop him onto the bed.

“You’re bleeding…don’t…” Seto said quietly, unable to speak in coherent sentences.

“It already stopped bleeding,” Mokuba shrugged, grabbing his foot and looking at it halfheartedly. “Are you gonna marry him, Seto?”

Seto blinked, taken aback by the sudden question.  
And he felt like laughing for years and never stopping.  
Marry Yami? Sure! Fucking sure!

“Yeah, definitely,” Seto said, trying not to let the sarcasm slip into his voice, but he caught the disappointed look flitting across Mokuba’s face and he hastily composed himself.

He grabbed a stray shirt from the floor and sat down beside Mokuba, pressing the fabric into the shallow cut at the edge of Mokuba’s heel, realizing that Mokuba had indeed stopped bleeding.

He spied the bottle of antiseptic lying on its side on the ground a few feet away, and he stood up to grab it, striding over the piles of shit he had caused before sitting back down on the bed to soak the hem of his shirt in the chemical and rubbing it gently onto Mokuba’s skin.

This action brought back a rush of memories from when he had dressed Yami’s wound, and his vision blurred terribly again. Gritting his teeth, Seto willed himself not to feel anything.

“Get off me, Seto, I said I’m not bleeding,” Mokuba said angrily, kicking his brother’s hand away from his foot. “How are you gonna marry him if he’s not a citizen?”

“He would become a citizen,” Seto said plainly, suddenly realizing that that was the answer to all of his damn problems.  
  
Oh.  
Well, he was being fucking stupid by throwing a messy tantrum.

All he had to do was rope Yami back in and marry the fuck out of him.

That demon and her father could send Immigrations to his doorstep all day and all night. It would change nothing.

He threw a frantic glance over at his laptop, seeing it lying sadly on its side with the screen hanging off its hinge, while the keyboard was missing several keys. Well shit, he needed to make the hinges out of something sturdier.

“Seto…can I sleep with you tonight?” Mokuba asked timidly, gazing around the room and wondering if it was safe to leave Seto alone with his thoughts tonight.

“I’ll stay here until you fall asleep,” Seto answered vaguely, his mind churning with ways he could find Yami.  
Hack the cameras in all of Domino and run a facial recognition scan.

If Yami had left Domino City, he would immediately know.

But…shit, he needed a photo of Yami to do that, and he had…the beach photos from a while ago! Would those work?

“Where are you gonna go after I fall asleep?” Mokuba asked irritably, knowing that Seto wasn’t listening to him. He was staring at his broken laptop, spacing out weirdly.  
  
“Seto!”

“The office!” Seto hissed, pointing at the pillows on the bed. “Sleep.”

“You’ll use your other laptop to find Yami, right?” Mokuba said encouragingly, climbing further up on the bed and lying down on the pillow, patting the space beside him. “And then you’ll marry him and then the special police won’t take him away. The end.”

“Yeah, I’ll fucking do that,” Seto responded darkly, thinking that he was going do a lot more than “marry” Yami when he found him.  
He was losing ground.  
The longer he was sitting here doing jack shit, the farther away Yami was getting.

Mokuba shut his eyes and opened them as he sat up, smiling warmly at his brother, and Seto gave him a strange look. “What?”

“I’m doing what he told me to do,” Mokuba said proudly, grinning at his older brother. “He hugged me and said, ‘make sure your brother sleeps and eats well.’ See Seto? I’m doing what he said. I can’t wait to tell him that.”

Seto blinked and nodded, suddenly feeling extremely weak all over. Yami…was so thoughtful towards Mokuba…!

“Right. You can tell him that when I drag his ass back here,” Seto said quietly, feeling a strange calm settle over him. This wasn’t the end of their relationship. Just because Yami had physically walked away, it didn’t mean that Yami wasn’t thinking about him.  
  
He would find Yami...even if it killed him.

* * *

Yami strode brusquely down the street, gripping the straps of his bag tightly, feeling oddly determined.

Okawa had been kind enough to show him a map of the train stations on his phone, and had told him when rush hour was.

Afterwards, Yami had made a hearty breakfast before the professor asked for his keycard back while blushing slightly.

Then, he had taken the train, mingling nicely with morning rush hour, and was now quite far away from the apartment tower.

Yami shifted the bag onto his other shoulder, wishing he had asked Okawa for a spare backpack.

Wait. He had money. He could just purchase one himself!

Where was the nearest shopping mall?

Yami recalled the giant complex Seto had taken him to the first time he had gone outside, and his mind spun as he tried to remember what it was called.

He kept walking down the street, seeing crowds of people passing him by, ignoring him. It eased his worries only slightly. He needed to find somewhere to stay for tonight…somewhere safe.

 _I’m tired,_ Yami thought miserably, hitching his bag higher up on his shoulder, wishing he was anywhere but here. He wanted to be back inside his room at the mansion. What wouldn’t he give to go back there now?!

He found himself at a crowded crossing and he shifted his bag in front of him again, following the crowd across the street.

He would just wander aimlessly until his feet ached.

After all, he had nowhere to go.

* * *

Seto felt his phone buzzing in his pocket and his head swam groggily as he patted his thigh, feeling it vibrating against his fingertips.

He pried his eyes open and bolted upright, realizing he had fallen asleep beside Mokuba. He glanced around, surveying the destruction he had made last night before hastily digging his phone out of his pocket.

It was an unknown number, and Seto’s heart leapt into his throat as he wondered if it could be Yami contacting him from a payphone, or from a borrowed cellphone.

“Kaiba,” Seto said quietly, listening to the silence on the other end.

Yami?

He waited a few heartbeats before losing his patience. “Speak, or I hang up,” and a soft giggle echoed through the receiver.

“You’re hiding him, but I’ll find him,” the soft female voice sang playfully, causing the hairs on the back of Seto’s neck to stand on end. Annabelle….

He was about to hang up before she spoke again, sounding angry. “My men are on the streets looking for him. Just because I’m sitting in a holding cell doesn’t mean I’m powerless.”

Seto grit his teeth, feeling himself break out into a cold sweat. Don’t respond. Don’t reciprocate.

“The race is on Seto!” she cackled maniacally. “You better hide him well! Do you know how much money he cos--”

Seto dropped the phone in his lap and smashed the red button furiously with his thumb, burning with rage. Now he had another reason to hack the city’s cameras.

He leapt off the bed and stepped over the messy piles of clothes and broken glass, feeling a terrible sense of dread churning in his stomach as he raced down the stairs and into the garage.

He grabbed a random set of keys and threw himself into the driver’s seat, revving the engine ferociously, trying not to think about what would happen if Annabelle’s men got to Yami before he did.

A fate worse than death...would become Yami’s reality.

* * *

Yami was quite satisfied with himself. He had managed to navigate his way through the train station successfully.

He stepped out of the tunnel, glancing excitedly around him, taking in the tall sparkling buildings blasting the colorful ads. He was back here again! But this time, he could understand everything.

The photos of pretty women were shampoo and beer ads. The tiny shops tucked into the sides of the buildings were actually toy stores!

Deeply pleased, Yami entered a shop and glanced around appreciatively, sweeping his gaze over tiny figurines, plush toys of all sizes, and various sets of interesting costumes.

He saw a bright pink dress with a spear-like wand and stared at it for a long moment before remembering that it was from the cartoon with the bloody angels.

 _So interesting_ , Yami mused, catching a few stares his way and he looked away quickly, his ears burning. Could people stare less? It was so anxiety-inducing. He ducked behind a shelf and heard a small squeaky voice behind him.

“Um…a-are you a cosplayer? M-May I have your photo?” Yami froze and wondered if he ought to ignore the stranger.  
  
Ignore.

He continued walking and headed straight for the exit, hearing the voice whisper to their friend. “Not a cosplayer…just a strange foreigner.”

Yami cursed to himself and tried not to let it bother him. He wandered into another shop with tall shelves, and this time, everything was encased in glass.

He stared into the display, wondering what was so valuable about playing cards.  
  
Shrugging, he turned away before he caught a familiar word written on the sign beside the display.

_“Exclusive!!! Tournament release DUEL MONSTER CARDS!”_

_Duel Monsters!_ Yami thought excitedly, remembering that Seto had something to do with duel monsters. Had Seto created this playing card game too?

Yami bent over to stare into the display again, seeing something odd reflected in the glass behind him. He stayed very still, holding his breath, watching the movement in the reflection again.

It was a face…wearing dark glasses.

His heart stopped in his chest so suddenly, it hurt to breathe. Seto’s bodyguards! They had come to bring him back to the mansion! So…it was safe to go back?

Excited, Yami turned around and stared right out the front door, seeing two more men in suits step into the shop and stand with their feet apart, blocking the doorway.

Blinking in confusion, Yami tried to ignore the rapid pounding of his heart as Lina’s voice filtered in through his consciousness again.

_“Never go anywhere you’ve previously been with your owner!”_

Damn.

He had messed up.

But…were these guards friendly or…?

Yami turned away and moved through the shop quickly, searching for a weapon.

They weren’t police, that was for sure. Besides, he thought he had memorized the faces of Seto’s guards to the best of his ability. They all wore suits…and had a shiny KC badge on their lapels.

 _Do they have a badge?_ Yami wondered faintly, throwing a frantic look over his shoulder, seeing that the doorway had cleared. The men were no longer standing at the front.

His skin began to crawl and Yami realized that it was probably a trap.

He spotted several customers and he stood in the aisle with them, staring so hard at the glass displays, his eyes watered. He saw one of the men in suits pass by in front of him, and Yami scanned his suit, realizing with a jolt of terror that he was not wearing a silver badge.

Lowering his head and trying not to panic, Yami held his breath, skimming faces and people through his mind.

There was probably only one other person who owned guards like this.

Lina’s owner.

 _I’m in trouble,_ thought Yami, feeling deeply stricken. He followed two children through to the next aisle, glancing at the door, and back to the man in the suit who was hovering one aisle behind him. They were circling him like sharks.

He caught the store owner’s eye and he smiled politely, swallowing his fear as he approached the counter, bowing deeply, raising his head to see the shop owner staring strangely at him, bobbing his head in return.

“May I borrow a piece of paper and a pen?” Yami asked in a low voice, seeing the shop owner nod tightly and frown, carelessly passing him a pen out of his pocket and slapping a pad of crinkled paper on the counter.

Yami snatched the pen up and began writing hastily.

_“!! There are a group of thieves attempting to steal from the display. They are very smart, and are dressed as security, but they are just c o s p l a y e r s._

_Please call the police!”_

Yami chose to write the word ‘cosplayers’ in English, deciding that he was out of time. The men were closing in behind him.

He saw the shopkeeper’s eyes widen as he quietly reached for the phone and tapped a button. Yami stared at the tiny red light blinking on the phone’s panel, counting his heartbeats. That’s it?! He didn’t need to talk on the phone?!

Yami felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and he tensed, grabbing one of the man’s sausage-like fingers and twisting it violently while jerking his arm towards the ground, hearing a satisfying crunch and a pop as the man’s anguished howls filled the room.

Yami spun around and shoved his knee into the man’s chest for good measure before giving him a rough shove into the glass display, seeing the shelves topple over slowly one by one like dominos across the store, and he didn’t wait around to see if anyone had been hurt.

He sprinted out the front door, thankful that no men were waiting by the front.

It seemed they had all followed him into that store, and hopefully, were now all trapped beneath the shelves of broken glass.

As he pushed his way through the crowds on the street, he spotted two policemen walking side-by-side, laughing merrily as they made their way to the shop.

Yami dodged them by stepping out onto the street, using the crowds of people passing by as a shield before ducking through a set of red revolving doors, and his senses were assaulted by blaring music and flashing lights.

Blinking steadily, Yami adjusted quickly, staring at the giant machines filled to the brim with adorable stuffed animals as many people in matching clothes gathered around the windows.

Matching clothes?  
  
Uniforms.  
  
Students.

Yami moved through the aisles, figuring it was dangerous to stay here.  
If he shouted or screamed, no one would hear him.  
  
He needed to blend in.

He spied a spare blue coat on an empty chair, and he grabbed it without hesitation, draping it over his arm casually, scanning the overhead signs for the bathroom. He kneaded the fabric between his fingers, glancing down at it quickly, satisfied to see that it was one of the matching uniforms from one of the students.

Yami slipped into the hallway by the bathroom and unzipped the jacket he was already wearing before shrugging the blue blazer on, thankful to see that it fit around his shoulders quite nicely.

He stuffed his other jacket back into his bag and stood right by the hallway, seeing a pair of boys walk past him, wearing white shirts under their blue blazers, and they also had matching blue pants.

Yami glanced down at himself, relieved that he was also wearing a white shirt underneath, but hating the fact that he was wearing black pants.

Would he be able to pass as a student?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two students also wearing mismatching uniforms.  
  
One had blond hair, and he was even wearing an unsightly green shirt underneath his blazer. His friend was chortling happily beside him as their third friend with stark white hair was attempting to pick a stuffed animal out of the claw-machine.

 _Them!_ Yami thought nervously, wondering what he ought to say to them to gain their trust. All three of the boys looked strangely out of place together…

Were they...misfits?

 _Maybe not,_ Yami told himself as he swallowed nervously and made his way past the group, attempting to keep his face pleasant.

He had just walked past them when he felt a strong arm loop around his chest and his head was pulled downwards to the ground so quickly, Yami felt the blood rush to his head.

Panicking, Yami struggled, gripping the arm that was pressed tightly across his throat, choking the air out of him while something sharp rubbed into his temple, and he heard a voice shout above him. “Hey! Yugi! You think I’m blind? Tryna sneak past me huh?!”

Blinking in astonishment, Yami realized that he was being mistaken for this “Yugi” person again.

The arm around his neck loosened and he stood his ground, looking the blond boy right in the face and smiling widely. “You caught me!”

The two other boys turned to stare at him, blinking in astonishment, and Yami could feel the skin sliding off his face from the intensity of their stares. Oh no…did he not look enough like Yugi up close?

“I thought you weren’t feeling well, Yugi,” the white-haired boy said while staring at Yami’s reflection in the glass and keeping his eyes steady on the machine’s pink claw. “Or did you do that so you could change your clothes…and…”

“W-Well…I’ll be going now!” Yami said lightly, raising his hand in a casual wave, and the brown-haired boy’s hand shot out to grab his wrist so suddenly, Yami didn’t have time to react.

H-Holy shit. These boys were faster than him. Was he in trouble?!

Yami felt himself being yanked forward as the boy with brown hair spat on the back of his hand and rubbed at his skin vigorously.

Yami’s heart skipped a beat as he tensed and let out a startled yell, attempting to pry his hand away, but the boy was stronger than him.

“Ugh, what the hell is this? Sun tan?” the brown-haired boy said strangely, sniffing at his wrist, and Yami used all of his strength to jerk his arm away, wiping his hand on the sides of his pants, deeply disgusted.

What the hell!  
Were these people Japanese or were they foreigners too?  
Why did they behave like this?!

“I’m really not feeling well,” Yami announced, deciding that these people were just as dangerous as the guards. “See you later.”

“Wait wait!” the blond one cried, patting around in his pockets and pulling out a set of keys with an odd fluff ball hanging off it. “When you left earlier, you dropped this! S’at why you came back, Yugi?”

“Yep,” Yami said viciously, snatching the keys out of the boy’s hands and gripping them so hard, his palm burned.

Keys…to a locker…or a bathroom. Either way, keys led to locked doors, and he needed to be behind a door right now.

“Ey…a thank you would be nice, sheesh,” the blond boy said, staring at him strangely. “What’s in the bag, Yugi?”

“It’s his gym bag you idiot,” the brown-haired boy said, staring intently through the window of the claw machine, punching the glass roughly as the boy with white hair missed the toy again. “Holy shit, Bakura, are you blind?! It was two inches back! That was my last coin!”

 _Bakura,_ Yami repeated the name in his head, wondering if this name was worth remembering. Whatever. It was time to leave.

“I wouldn’t be playing the last round if Yugi hadn’t got up!” Bakura said angrily, turning in his seat to give Yugi a worried frown. “Are you feeling better now? Tristan really wants to win this for Ser-…someone!” Bakura cried frantically as the brown-haired boy tread heavily on his toe.

Tristan. The brown-haired boy’s name was Tristan.

“Stuffed toys are stupid,” the blond boy said, giving the machine a violent kick, and Yami watched, horrified, as all the toys in the machine rattled from the force of his kick.

These people were…violent and disrespectful! Was Yugi like this too?!

“One more try!” Tristan insisted, giving the blond boy a rough nudge. “You owe me 1500 yen for burgers last week. Pay up. Bakura, move, so Yugi can play.”

Yami blinked, panicking. Oh...no…no, he didn’t know how to play this game!

He glanced down at the red number three on the panel next to the joystick, his blood running cold as he realized this machine was 500 yen per try.

There was no way he could win a toy with that flimsy claw in three tries!  
Would these students beat him up if he lost their money on this game?

“I’m really, really not feeling well,” Yami repeated desperately, glancing around the noisy room, looking for the exit. The guards were probably still looking for him!

“See you…” And he tried to run off, but the strong arm wrapped around his neck again, dragging him forcefully to sit in the chair, and Yami swallowed tightly, feeling lightheaded.

“One last time!” The blond boy growled, turning to give Tristan a playful shove. “Cuz this is a waste of damn money.”

“Shut up, Joey,” Tristan said irritably, watching his friend feed the coin into the machine, and Yami tensed, watching the claw spring to life. Oh no…oh no….

The blond boy’s name was Joey.

Well, now he had learned all their names, but a new problem had arisen.

A fluffy pink hamster sat precariously between two, thin, white pipes, and the timer was already counting down above his head.

He had…one minute to move this claw…to do what?!

 _I don’t know how to make it fall!_ Yami thought frantically, feeling his ears ringing terribly from all the noise. He stared at the hole at the bottom of the machine.

It looked simple enough, but…the claw was weak. The claw wasn’t for picking things up…right?

“Yugi! Hurry up!” Tristan shouted beside his ear, and the glass rattled with another violent punch, giving Yami a fright, causing him to accidentally squeeze the trigger of the joystick.

Terrified, Yami watched the claw lower behind the toy.

The fluffy hamster wobbled left and right as the claw retracted upwards, and Yami blinked, realizing that that was it!

It was just the right distance. As the claw went up, it would push the toy off the pipes!

There was a loud beep and the claw flexed again, and Yami grit his teeth, his heart thundering in his ears as he eyed the distance between the far end of the machine and the hamster’s tail.

He squeezed the trigger to lower the claw, praying, and he could feel the three boys behind him all holding their breath too.

The claw brushed against the toy as it lowered, and there was an eternal pause before the claw retracted upwards, and Yami watched incredulously as the toy rolled easily off the pipes, falling down one of the chutes on the side.

There was a long silence before chaos erupted around him. He was being jubilantly grabbed, slapped, and pushed by the three boys around him as they yelled happily in his ear.

“That’s my boy, Yugi!” Tristan crowed, squeezing his head so tightly, Yami could feel his eyeballs popping out of his head. “We get a refund for that one try!”

“Hey, win me that poster from the machine in the front, Yugi!” Joey cried, thumping him strongly on the back, and Yami felt the air leave his lungs. “I’ll buy you a rice ball in return!”

“Wait! You’ve all had your turn!” Bakura said excitedly, grabbing Yugi by the arm and giving him a few hard tugs. “Win me the bear in the machine from aisle 2, Yugi! I’ll buy you a week’s worth of hamburgers!”

Yami felt lightheaded as he realized…that these were Yugi’s friends!

Then maybe, they could tell him which door the keys opened! Who would he ask?

Yami scanned the eager faces gazing at him with bright eyes, and he decided he would ask Joey.

Joey had touched him the most, meaning that they were probably the closest.  
Joey had also picked up the keys in the first place.

“I have a question,” Yami said slowly, reaching into his pocket and fishing out the keys, holding them up in front of his face. “What do these open?”

All three boys paled and stared at him for so long, Yami felt his skin burn. Wh-What?! Was that a bad question?!

“A-Are you being serious right now Yugi?” Tristan asked, furrowing his brow with worry, and the other two mirrored his look of concern, and Yami decided that this was a good move after all.

The more worried they were about their friend Yugi, the more likely they would be to help him!

“Yeah, I’m serious,” Yami said, also frowning. “I said I wasn’t feeling well. Help me out, won’t you?”

“That’s not a funny joke at all,” the white-haired teen declared, and Yami slapped himself for forgetting the boy’s name.

“Who’s that?” Joey asked comically, pointing at the brown fluff on the keychain. “You gonna tell me you forgot his name too?”

“This thing has a name?” Yami asked, unable to stop himself. He turned the keychain over in his hands and saw that the fluff had two eyes and a mouth. A mascot! Oh no…he had messed up.

He glanced up hastily, seeing all three boys staring at him, slack-jawed.

“M-Maybe you should go home, Yugi,” Joey said uncertainly, ruffling his hair and looking guilty. “Sorry we made you stay when you said you weren’t feeling good. You don’t have to pretend…”

 _Where is home?!_ Yami thought furiously, seeing a shadow out of the corner of his eye, and he panicked, leaping out of his seat and gazing down the aisle, seeing two men in black suits standing at the far end, waiting for him. Oh no…oh no….!  
He had stayed here too long!

All three boys turned their heads to stare in the direction of the suits, and Tristan cracked his knuckles threateningly.

“Shit,” Joey said darkly, moving to stand beside Yugi, and Bakura inched closer towards Yugi’s other side. “Nobody move.”

“I can take them,” Tristan said, sounding determined, and Yami watched incredulously as the brown-haired teen rolled his shoulders and neck, flexing expertly with his fists raised. “Rich boy is gonna have to come pick up a pile of bones. Ready when I say go, Joey…”

“One second Tristan,” Joey replied angrily, grabbing Yami by the shoulder and pulling him into the center of aisle. “We’re surrounded. Can’t go out this way either.”

Yami began panicking internally as two more men in suits blocked their path from behind. 

“Oh god, oh god, why? Why?!” Bakura wailed, frantically looking between both ends of the aisle, sounding deeply frightened. “Why did you have to steal a duel disk, Joey?!”

 _Theft!_ Yami thought, resisting the urge to palm his face. These students were thieves?!

“Yugi, get behind me,” Joey said resolutely, also raising his fists as the men began closing in from both sides. “Bakura, if things get bad, grab Yugi and run.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Bakura said, clutching himself tightly in fear, and Yami felt faint.

These boys were fighting his fight for him! Why?!  
They were also very protective of Yugi!

“Whoever strikes first, wins!” Tristan shouted, lunging towards the three men in suits in front of him, and Joey also let out a yell, rushing headlong into the two men on their end, and Yami watched with growing amazement as Tristan easily brought two men down to their knees with a strong kick and a punch.

He whipped his head around to see that Joey had disappeared under the two men, and they had him by the arms, pressing a solid knee down onto his back, and Yami raced forward without thinking, giving the man holding Joey a solid kick across the face and backing away quickly as his partner tried to grab at him.

Yami watched the other man fall onto the ground on his elbows as Joey crashed his head into the man’s jaw, and the man fell back with a tight groan.

A hot hand wrapped around Yami’s wrist and he twisted around to throw a punch, but found his hand trapped in Tristan’s palm. He blinked, astonished.  
  
Tristan…had caught his punch!

“Nice one, Yugi, have you been practicing?” Tristan asked lightly, letting go of Yami and feeling his palm sting. That was a solid punch….

“Done,” Joey said breathlessly, standing proudly over two lifeless bodies, and Yami blinked, astounded. He craned his neck to look past Tristan, seeing three men lying in a neat pile, one on top of the other, all with bloody faces, and Tristan looked unscathed.

Deeply moved, Yami turned back around to see Joey spitting on the face of one of the men, and grinding his shoe onto the man’s cheek, yelling down at the unconscious body. “Yeah, eat shit, fucker!”

His voice carried over the loud pings of the game machines around them and Yami felt a laugh escape his throat.

He decided in that moment, that he liked Joey the best.

“We’re going home! I’m going home!” Bakura insisted shrilly, reaching down to grab Yugi by the arm and pulling him out of the aisle.

“Hey! I need a black marker!” Tristan shouted after them. “Joey, go borrow one from the girls! I want to write something…!”

“We’re leaving…we’re leaving,” Bakura mumbled, dragging Yugi into the elevator and pressing the button for the ground floor, and Yami stuck closely to Bakura, feeling an odd kinship to this white-haired stranger.

The doors slid shut and there was a stifling silence.

Yami watched Bakura lean against the railing, hugging himself tightly, breathing a deep sigh of relief. He smiled weakly at the boy, and saw Bakura smile back gently.

“Are you feeling well enough to walk home, Yugi?”

Yami hesitated before shaking his head nervously. It was safer to be with Joey and Tristan. Yugi was also probably at home. Maybe he could stay with Joey for the night!

The elevator doors slid open on another floor and Yami followed Bakura out of the elevator. Together, they walked out the front doors and stood on the sidewalk beside the red revolving doors, shuffling their feet nervously.

“Right well…I’m going home,” Bakura said anxiously, glancing up and down the sidewalk. “Before Kaiba sends any more of his men. I don’t want to be involved with Joey for this very reason!”

“Kaiba?” Yami echoed incredulously. So, Seto’s guards wandering around the city wasn’t unusual? Why were the guards after Joey? And those weren’t Seto’s guards!

“Y-Yeah…” Bakura replied, frowning deeply. “Actually, I’ll wait here with you until they come back out. I can’t leave you alone, Yugi. You really aren’t well. Are you having an episode?”

 _An episode?_ Yami wondered faintly, and he lightly shook his head before nodding again. What episode? Better to act even more strangely.

The revolving doors spun quickly as Joey and Tristan walked out of the building, guffawing merrily.

“Aite Yugi, we’re walking you home,” Joey said happily, draping his arm heavily over Yami’s shoulder, and Bakura took this chance to escape. “Okay, bye guys. See you tomorrow!”

“Bye, you fucking weirdo,” Tristan said carelessly, swinging the fluffy pink hamster above his head, throwing his head back and letting out a loud whoop, causing a few people to shoot glares his way.

“Man, that felt good! I really needed to hit something today!” he exclaimed, and Yami felt himself being pulled down the sidewalk by Joey’s arm, and he couldn’t help but feel oddly warm inside.

“Hey Yugi,” Joey said happily, giving Yami’s shoulders a playful squeeze. “New deal. I buy you rice balls for a week, and you win me three posters.”

“Deal,” Yami said faintly, wondering if Yugi would’ve accepted this deal. They turned to walk down a narrow street and the warm smell of ramen floated down the alleyway.

“Man!” Tristan groaned from somewhere behind them. “I’m so hungry!”

“We need to get Yugi home,” Joey said mechanically, giving Yami a firm shake. “You’re not feeling well, right bud?”

“Right…” Yami said nervously, his stomach gurgling with hunger. He should ask to stay with Joey tonight…now!

“Hey…” Yami spoke up, but Tristan talked over him loudly. “Dudes, check this out…!”

Yami grit his teeth, irritated, but he watched Tristan slide out his phone to show them the screen.

It was a video of the bodyguards, all unconscious. They had been flipped on their backs and a series of insults were scrawled across their faces in thick black marker.

 _“Seto Kaiba is an ugly dog fucker”_ was written neatly across one man’s forehead, and the camera panned over to show _“Kaiba is a little tit”_ scribbled across another man’s cheeks.

 _“My dick is small – Seto Kaiba”_ was written down one man’s neck, while another man lay shirtless, and various insults with Kaiba’s name was scribbled messily over his chest and abdomen.

 _“Kaiba is an ugly piece of shit.”_  
  
“Seto Kaiba? More like a pile of shit.”  
  
“Kaiba is a playboy motherfucker.”

Yami held his breath, his heart pounding furiously in his chest as Joey and Tristan threw their heads back in rambunctious laughter that echoed up and down the alleyway.

It was _not_ safer to stay with Joey or Tristan. Time to leave. How could he shake them off? They were intent on “walking Yugi home”.

He slowly slipped his hand into his duffle bag, his fingers brushing past a metal pin before they touched the envelope of cash.

 _“That was my last coin!”_ Tristan had yelled at Bakura…and now, they were saying they were hungry, but no one was eating.

Joey and Tristan were cackling merrily at the video, hitting replay over and over.

Yami nimbly slipped out two bank notes and crumpled them up in his fist, shoving his hand in his pocket as he continued to wrinkle the money hastily.  
Isono had given him new bills.  
It would be suspicious to give Yugi’s friends new bills for food.

“Hey guys…” Yami said, keeping his voice soft, hoping his anger didn’t come through in his tone.

Why did Yugi’s friends hate his owner? He had no idea, and he didn’t have time to think about that now.

He was ignored as Joey and Tristan continued to howl with laughter at the video.

“Let’s post it and tag him in it, just to show him what’s what,” Tristan said evilly, holding the phone out in front of him, grabbing Yami by the shoulder and pulling him into the frame. “Everyone make a face that says, ‘Fuck you motherfucker!’”

“HYAAAAA! Fuck you Kaiba!” Joey grinned, sticking his tongue out and pulling at his cheeks. Yami blinked uncertainly and frowned into the camera, seeing his own face reflected in the screen looking scared and worried.

“Three, two…one,” Tristan chuckled, and Yami beamed brightly, showing off all his teeth, wondering if Seto would ever see this photo. The shutter clicked and Tristan’s arm fell away from his shoulder.

“Hashtag…Kaiba is a harassing, grudge-holding fuck,” Tristan said happily, and Joey burst out laughing beside him again.

“Hey guys, I can walk myself home,” Yami said hastily, and he held his fist out downwards towards Joey, feeling the money burn inside of his palm. “This is thanks for earlier. You can eat without me. My stomach isn’t feeling well.”

“Aw, Yugi, no need,” Joey said, grabbing Yami’s fist and punching it into his palm energetically, and Yami frowned, deeply confused. “We can teach you how to fight any time!”

“No, you fucking idiot,” Tristan said, grabbing Yami’s arm too and holding his hand out beneath his palm. “The shrimp is trying to give you something.”

 _The shrimp?!_ Yami thought frantically. Were these two Yugi’s friends or not?! Why were they so uncouth? He needed to get away…now, before they found out he wasn’t Yugi…because he would definitely lose in a fight against Tristan!

He opened his hand and dropped the two bills in Tristan’s palm, watching the two boys back away with a startled yell.

“Oi! What the hell!” Tristan cried, unwrinkling the bill and pulling it taut between his hands, holding it up to the sky which was slowly turning bright orange.

The sun was setting. He needed to get away….

“Yo! Yugi! What’s this?!” Joey said nervously, waving the crinkled bill in front of Yami’s nose before pressing it to his own nose and giving a deep whiff. “Smells real enough. Where’d you get 10,000 yen bills?!? Did you find them on the ground?!”

“No, you ass, they’re new,” Tristan said, and Yami felt his stomach drop to his feet.  
  
Oh no….

“Look, they’ve just been wrinkled.” Tristan continued, furrowing his brow suspiciously. “Did you take these off the guard’s bodies? When did you do that?! They weren’t carrying wallets!”

“In their front pocket,” Yami said vaguely, his mind spinning with dread. Was this a bad move?! Tristan was very sharp. Joey was a little bit slow….

“Nice, let’s feast!” Joey sniggered, rubbing the bill happily between his palms, blowing on it frantically. “Please, please gods, let this bill multiply into thousands! May this bill solve all my problems!”

Yami was slightly disturbed by this behavior and he inched away from the two boys, pointing nervously down the alleyway. “I’m going home. Thanks for your help!”

“Okay, Yugi, take care!” Joey said, waving energetically, and Yami saw Tristan’s arm looping around Joey’s shoulders. “Let’s go drink! Bye, Yugi!”

Yami nodded stiffly and watched the two boys stagger around clutching each other with joy before disappearing into one of the nearby shops.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Yami hurried out of the alleyway and continued walking down the street, wondering where he should stay for the night.

Would there be more guards coming? Definitely.

The streets were not safe. Not with the guards roaming around.

Yami continued down the street, his mind filled with thoughts of Seto.

Seto was not looking for him.  
Those were not his guards.  
Did Seto know that other guards were being sent after him?

Yami gripped the strap of his bag tighter, his stomach churning with unease and hunger.

He passed by a convenience store and stepped in through the sliding doors, eyeing the shelves of food. He could eat something here and be on foot for the rest of the night.

He needed to stock up for his journey.

Yami grabbed a small basket and tipped bags of snacks, drinks, and wrapped cakes into it, catching the attendant’s eye and seeing her nod and blush at him. Curious, Yami approached her slowly and saw her bob her head nervously.

“G-Good evening, Yugi-kun,” she said quietly, and Yami couldn't help but stare at her breasts. They were huge, and popping at the seams.

He had never seen such huge breasts up close before! And Yami ducked his head back down in return, feeling a strange heat creeping across his cheeks.

“Mazaki” was printed neatly across her name tag, and Yami dropped his basket in amazement. Was this a coincidence or…?!

“Ah…oh no! Yugi! You’re so clumsy! Don’t do that!” she cried, rushing out from behind the counter to pick his basket up and setting it gently on the counter, frowning at him. “This must be the new style Akagi-chan texted me about…”

 _Ah,_ Yami thought, hastily recalling the strange string of words the girl on the ship had said about his “style” as he avoided eye contact with the busty girl. “You mean, my gyaru-casual…style?”

She was considerably taller than him…and he was nose-to-nose with the center of her chest.

This was…uncomfortable. Or very nice. Yami couldn't decide which.  
Was this Yugi’s girlfriend?! Yugi was a lucky man indeed!

“Are you sick?” she asked immediately, bowing down to peer into his face, and a cool hand pressed across his forehead. Yami jumped, and took a nervous step back, feeling himself sweat. Oh no….

“I’m fine,” Yami answered hastily, and he saw her frown into his face again, crossing her arms across her chest. “Your voice sounds a bit strange.”

 _Oh no…._ and Yami blanched, thinking that of course he would sound nothing like Yugi, even if they bore a heavy resemblance. What did Yugi sound like?! And of course this girl would notice the change in his voice, when his barbaric friends didn’t!

“Well, let’s see what you’ve got here…” Anzu said worriedly, circling the counter and sliding each item over the scanner. “Gosh, you’re always eating these sweets, Yugi. Eat some real food next time. I know it’s cheap to eat this way…but…it’s not healthy, okay?”

 _Yugi is poor!_ Yami realized with a jolt, as he managed to piece together all of the reactions from earlier in his day. It was either that, or Yugi was quite fat, but if he resembled Yugi that much, Yugi was more likely poor than fat.

All of Yugi’s friends had offered to buy him food, and even his girlfriend was criticizing his choices of snacks.

“I won’t get fat, don’t worry!” Yami said lightly, giving her a bright smile, seeing her cheeks redden even more. “You’ll still like me if I’m chubby, right?”

“Stop joking around, you’re stupid,” she replied cheerfully, shoving his purchases into a bag and handing him a bulging plastic bag with all of his food. “This is on me. Go home and get some rest. Your voice is starting to go funny like you’ve got a cold.”

Yami accepted the bag from her and chose not to bow, not wanting to raise her suspicions any higher.  “Thanks, Mazaki-san!”

The smile slid off her face and she stared at him for a very long time, and Yami felt himself melting into the floor with dread. Oh no…what had he done now…?!

“Are you wearing contacts? Make up? Your eyes are shaped differently today too,” she pressed, leaning over and staring at him intently. Yami looked away hastily, a fire burning in his cheeks as he tried not to stare at her breasts pushed up on the counter.

“You’re right, I’m not feeling well,” Yami said shakily, walking to the door frantically, hearing her footsteps follow him quickly from behind, and he panicked, quickening his pace.

He saw stray cars parked to his left and decided that the most logical thing to do was to get out of her sight as quickly as possible.

He walked towards them and heard her call out to him from behind. “Wait! Yugi! Where are you going?!”

Yami’s heart skipped a nervous beat as he turned around to wave at her, “Home!”

He saw her squint at him and her face turned dark as a look of solid irritation crossed her features. “Are you trying to be funny? That’s not funny. Home is that way, you silly potato!”

She pointed a pretty, manicured finger towards a dark building down the street, with a oddly-shaped sign sticking up from it. “Are you trying to be weird, or are you having an episode? You also addressed me by my last name!”

 _Oh no,_ Yami thought fearfully as he wondered if it was possible for him to have messed up Yugi’s relationship with his beautiful girlfriend. And what were these episodes his friends kept mentioning?!

“I’m sorry,” Yami said, for what he felt like was the millionth apology he had said today. “You’re right, I’m being stupid.”

And he walked forward slowly and looked right into the girl’s face, seeing her staring strangely back at him, her eyes wide.

What did she want? A hug? A kiss? What did Yugi usually do with his girlfriend when he left?!

 _Well, if it was Seto, I would kiss him,_ Yami thought mildly, adjusting his bag on his shoulder, smiling warmly up at her, seeing her blink rapidly and look slightly confused.

“What’s my name?” the girl asked uncertainly, and Yami grit his teeth and smiled, praying his fear didn’t show on his face. He would be truthful, because this girl was good at spotting lies.

“I honestly don’t know,” Yami replied merrily, “But I do remember that we kiss very often!”

He saw the color rush to her face in an instant and felt instantly relieved. Good…good. Could he walk away without kissing her? Or did he have to kiss her?  
Damn it.

“Stop it…stop it,” the girl mumbled, and Yami swallowed his nervousness, moving to stand very close to her, keeping the warm smile on his face as he spoke. “I’m leaving now…did you want a kiss or not?”

And Yami prayed she would refuse, but to his surprise, she nodded quickly and ducked her head down to press her lips warmly across his cheek.

He blinked and stood very still, frozen with surprise. There was a small black dome of a camera sitting ominously above them on the metal awning, and he stared at it so hard, his eyes burned.  
  
Seto…can you see this? Are you watching this? Will you find me?

“Okay, there, you stupid idiot,” she said nervously, turning away and walking back into the shop. “Don’t come here and act weird while I’m work! Go home!”

 _Gladly,_ Yami thought privately as he gave her a cheerful wave and hurried down the street towards the building with a dark sign.

The keys jingled lightly in his pocket and Yami fished them out, holding them up to his face as he approached the building. He could barely make out the sign in the dark.  
  
It said, “Game shop…”

 _These are shop keys!_ Yami thought, elated. But the street was so dark. Everything around this building was so dark…where were all the lights? If this was a shop, wouldn’t the sign be lit?

He crossed the street and moved towards the building, his anxiety rising as he wondered if Yugi would be kind enough to give him a roof over his head for the night.  
  
The chances of Yugi being hospitable to him were unlikely, given how he had just gone around today, pretending to be him to every single one of his friends...even soliciting a kiss from his sexy girlfriend.

Yami caught a whiff of something sour as he got closer to the door, and he wrinkled his nose, dreading walking into another trash-infested hole.

Would Yugi attack him if he entered the shop unannounced?

If Yugi’s friend’s behaviors were anything to go by, Yugi was probably also an uncouth gangster with a weird sense of style.

The sour smell grew heavier, and just as Yami was about to leave, his foot tread across something warm and soft, and Yami cursed, biting the inside of his cheek in frustration as he glanced down to stare at a dark pair of legs sprawled across the welcome mat.

Legs.

A person!

Panicking, Yami apologized and pressed a hand to his nose as he spied a puddle of vomit sitting just a few inches away, and he gagged.

What was this place?! Who was this person lying here in the dark in their own vomit?!

He heard a soft moan, and a soft voice spoke from somewhere below him.

“Grandpa?”  
  
A drunk, clearly.  
  
Stepping over the body in the dark, Yami felt around for the doorknob and began testing each key, holding his breath, his eyes watering from the stench.

“G-Grandpa…it’s me…Yugi…”

The key slipped into the hole and Yami froze, the blood rushing loudly through his ears as he glanced down at the shadow laying on the doormat.

Th-This was Yugi?!

Shoving the door open hastily, Yami felt around the side of the wall for the lights, but found none. Cursing again under his breath, Yami patted Yugi’s body and found his arms. He grabbed them and leaned Yugi against his shoulder, helping him to his feet and walking him inside, wrinkling his nose as the sour smell of vomit became overwhelming.

Yugi was definitely sick.

Who was “Grandpa” and was he coming back soon?

Gritting his teeth, Yami set his bag down on the floor as he eased Yugi down into a sitting position, and he glanced around nervously, seeing tall shadows hugging the walls. Where were the damn lights?!

“Hey, where’s the light switch?” Yami asked roughly, giving Yugi a nudge, hearing the boy groan weakly in response. “You’re not being funny Grandpa…it’s…behind the counter…”

Yami spied a glass display at the far end of the room, and he pushed Yugi’s arm off from his body.

He edged around the counter in the dark and felt along the wall, his fingertips brushing against the switch and he flicked the lights on. A warm, yellow light flooded the room, and stacks of game boards, chess sets, and small figurines gleamed on the shelves.

Yami lowered his gaze and blinked, his jaw dropping in shock as he stared at the lifeless body of himself lying on the floor of the shop.

Th-This was Yugi?!

* * *

**Author’s note:**  
  
What's up now?? heuheuhe :D i'll be posting an update this wednesday. (5/2/18)

thank you[ ylje ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ylje/pseuds/ylje)for your edits on this chapter. you are my life and my soul.

2 more chapters until the end!

Liked it? Hated it? let me know! hungry for comments! (and food LOL)

_**[tip jar (feed your hungry writer)](https://www.paypal.me/hellopiko)|** [patreon (full chapters posted a day early)](https://www.patreon.com/ugli)_

WARM HUGS,

UGLI


	29. You have tamed me

Yami held his breath and approached his body double carefully, shocked at their resemblance. They were the same build, had the same spiky red hair, and the same delicate features. The only visible difference Yami could see was the color of their skin.

“Yugi?” Yami whispered hesitantly, staring at Yugi’s limp form, taking in his tight leather pants, double stacked belts, and white shirt, which had a light vomit stain on the hem.

Slightly unnerved, Yami hovered over Yugi and bent down over his face, poking his finger into his cheek and hastily withdrawing his finger. His skin was soft….

“Yugi!” Yami said loudly, and he passed a hand over Yugi’s face, realizing that Yugi was unconscious. Oh no…!

Trying not to panic, Yami gently rolled Yugi over onto his side and slipped his hands underneath his body, slowly rising to his feet as he realized Yugi weighed just about as much as he did.

 _This is so strange,_ Yami thought wildly as he staggered in through a connecting door and hit the light switch with his elbow. He glanced around, relieved to see that everything was clean, but there was an upstairs. And it looked like Yugi’s room was upstairs.

Setting his jaw in determination, Yami slowly made his way up the stairs while carrying Yugi in his arms, feeling his shoulders and thighs burn as he finally reached the top step and set Yugi down on the carpeted floor.

He stared down into Yugi’s face curiously, his eyes tracing the way blonde bangs framed his face, his heart thundering wonderfully in his chest as he noticed Yugi’s cheeks were rounder than his, but only slightly.

 _We look completely different! I don’t know what anyone is talking about,_ Yami thought indignantly, leaning Yugi against the wall and hastily exploring the hallway.

There was a bathroom, and one room that was locked, and one other room with a modest bed and small desk.  
Yugi’s room.

The scent of vomit lingered on Yami’s body and he wrinkled his nose, wondering if he would go to hell if he took off Yugi’s clothes and changed him while he was unconscious.

The smell was overpowering, and Yami decided he would do it.

After all, they were both men…and there was nothing wrong with that.

 _Seto and I are both men,_ _so how does that work?_ Yami thought darkly, slowly grabbing Yugi’s white shirt and carefully undoing the buttons, wondering if Seto would kill him if he knew what he was doing now.

The clothes stuck to Yugi’s body and Yami grit his teeth, slowly peeling Yugi’s shirt off and tossing it down the steps, watching it land on the floor.  
There. The offending article of clothing was now far, far away, but the smell of vomit still lingered.

Sighing, Yami rose to his feet and walked into the bathroom, running hot water underneath his palm as he plugged the drain and watched the water swirl around in the tub.  
  
Was it also immoral to bathe someone who was unconscious?

 _But he’s sick and covered in his own vomit_! Yami thought angrily, swishing the water around longingly. He wanted to take a bath badly too.

Yugi heard the water running in the distance and he pried his eyes open groggily, feeling incredibly dizzy as he tried to stand. He shivered and looked down at himself, wondering why he was shirtless.

He staggered to the bathroom and stared at the mirror image of himself, dressed in casual clothes, bent over the tub, running a bath.

“Um…what’s happening?” Yugi said quietly, feeling himself sway dangerously on his feet. Another hallucination.

Was there really water running or was it because he wanted a bath so badly that his hallucination was doing it for him?!

“I’m running you a bath,” Yami replied patiently, and he froze, his heart thudding in his ears as he realized Yugi was awake!

He jerked around and saw Yugi staring at him with a dazed expression.

It wasn’t…an unfriendly look…so it must be fine…right?

“Get undressed and wash yourself,” Yami said, trying to sound indifferent, and he dipped his hand into the water to check the temperature. “You got sick all over yourself. Are you hungry?”

“Don’t…talk to me. You’re not real,” came the reply, and Yami blinked, confused.  
  
Okay. If this was how Yugi wanted to treat him…this was fine too.

“Then you can starve,” Yami said roughly, feeling his stomach gurgling unpleasantly as he thought about eating a nice steaming hot bowl of soup. “Wash up, and don’t come out until you’re clean.”

Yami brushed past Yugi and saw the boy’s eyes widen with fear. “Grandpa! G-Grandpa…I’m seeing things again!”

Yami panicked, and pressed a hand to his lips, shaking his head frantically, begging the boy to stay quiet. “Please don’t yell…you’re right! I’m not real!”

“I know that!” Yugi cried shrilly, backing away into the bathroom on trembling legs. “GRANDPA! Where are you, Grandpa?! It touched me!”

Yami tensed and stared at Yugi for a long moment before reaching forward to ease the bathroom door shut, shaking his head in disbelief.

He would now search the house for this… ‘grandpa’.

Maybe the old man was deaf.

He raced down the steps and paced around the living room, realizing that the living space was actually quite small. A couch sat in front of a TV, and a tiny kitchen hugged the far corner.

There was a sliding glass door leading out into a back garden of sorts, and a light rain had picked up.

The wind blew light raindrops into the glass, and Yami breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
Grandpa was nowhere to be seen, and he had avoided being outside in an oncoming rainstorm.

Yami strode over to the kitchen and spied a piece of paper on the counter. He snatched it up and read it hastily.

_“Dearest Yugi,_

_I’ve gone on a trip with Miss…. and Professor ….!_  
  
I’ll be back next week!

 _Take your medicine when you need it and play nice with your friends. I’ll be back next week, don’t worry about me!_  
  
Here is your allowance. Don’t spend it all at once! I’ll be back next week!

_Love,  
Sugoroku”_

Frowning, Yami read the note again, wondering why ‘I’ll be back next week’ had been repeated three times in the letter.

Sugoroku was Yugi’s ‘grandpa’. Mystery solved. And thankfully, he was away.

There was a small stack of bills sitting on the counter and Yami stuck the letter back underneath it.

Sighing, he flipped the lights on in the kitchen and pulled open all the drawers and cabinets, familiarizing himself with everything.

Yugi was sick. Where was his medicine?

He could stay here and pretend to be Yugi’s friend while he waited out the storm that was raging outside.

His stomach gnarled with hunger and he yanked open the refrigerator, pleased to see that everything was neat and well-stocked. There was enough food in here to last for days!

Excited, Yami pulled out bunches of vegetables and placed them onto the counter, thanking Isono in his mind as he recalled a recipe to make for someone who was sick with the stomach flu.

Upstairs, Yugi sank low into the hot water, feeling his cheeks and ears burn as the water sloshed up against his face.

He patted his face frantically and splashed the water around with his hand, his heart racing with confusion. He had been positive that a hallucination had run a bath, but here he was, sitting in real, hot water!

 _A new level of illness_ , _but I took my medicine today,_ Yugi thought darkly, submerging his head under the water. Was this water a hallucination too?! If the water wasn’t real, then he could sit under the water and breathe just fine!

The hot water flooded his nostrils and burned.

Yugi popped his head up, shaking the water out of his hair.

This water was real.

“Maybe I ran the water,” Yugi said amicably, “The hallucination looks just like me. I’m having an out-of-body experience.”

And he ducked his head down under the water again, relaxing happily.

* * *

Seto stood over his desk, biting back tears of frustration as he listened to the sounds of rain crashing against the windows of his office.

A storm.

Where was Yami? Was he out in this storm?!

He had spent the entire day illegally coding a facial recognition scanner into the city’s camera system while simultaneously recovering the ship’s camera feeds, and had subsequently combed through every hour meticulously, and everything he had just watched made him want to forget…everything.

He had watched Yami leave the dinner to meet Lina in the hallway. He saw Yami hesitate before following her into her room, and come out a few minutes later, looking deeply shaken.

He saw Yami rush out towards the pool deck and submerge himself in the water, standing very still almost fifteen minutes until the waiter from the dinner showed up to have a smoke.

Seto had watched with bated breath as Yami casually stripped in front of the waiter and led him back into the ship. An alien surge of rage coursed through his body.

It was very clear that Yami was baiting the waiter, because he was tugging on the man’s arm, and the image made Seto want to kill…everything.

He had watched Yami open Annabelle’s door with ease, and he caught the waiter’s hand lightly groping Yami’s ass before they disappeared into the room, and his blood had boiled, unable to stomach the fact that Yami had purposely led the man into a room so that they could have sex.

But much to his relief, Yami had come straight out of the room in under a minute, this time wearing one of his track jackets, and Seto froze, his heart thudding loudly in his ears. Why was one of Yami’s jackets in Annabelle’s room?!

He saw the waiter run out of the room, looking angry and frustrated as Yami raced down the hallway at breakneck speed for the elevators, and breathe a deep sigh of relief once inside.

Seto had let out a similar sigh of relief. He knew what happened after this. Yami had played the maid into unlocking the door…and…the rest…a fucking nightmare.

Sighing heavily, Seto pressed the palms of his hands into his face, breathing deeply, shaking with anger and disbelief, feeling his eyes water. Don’t cry. Don’t fucking cry.

Crying wasn’t going to do anything.

He now knew that Yami had absolutely nothing to do with the murder on the ship, and that the footage wouldn’t help Domino police anyway.

He hit several keys and wiped the entire disk. All of his hard work, gone, just like that.

Now what…now what?!

Yami was out on the street! Was he being soaked by rain?! It was fucking cold! Where would he go? He had no ID…!

Seto sighed tightly and palmed his face, his heart pounding thickly in his ears as he forced himself to calm down.

Yami was safe. Yami was safe. All he had to do was find him before Annabelle’s men, and Seto was sure that she would call to gloat if she had been successful.

Spurred on with renewed desperation, Seto positioned his hands over the keys of his laptop, forcing himself to remain awake. Yami was out there somewhere, and he would find him.

* * *

Yugi wrapped a towel around his waist and wobbled unsteadily out of the bathroom, ducking hastily into his room to grab clothes. The warm scent of chicken broth floated through the air and it made his head spin with hunger.

Oh…that smelled good! Why were his olfactory hallucinations acting up so badly now? Was it because he had vomited a few hours ago?

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Yugi blinked and tried to remember how he had gotten upstairs. Where was his shirt?

Hastily getting dressed, Yugi walked down the stairs and stood at the very top, staring down at his hallucination who was aimlessly stirring the pot on the stove while the TV was on quietly in the background, and the delicious scent of chicken broth was so overwhelming. He felt faint.

Yami heard a noise and his heart raced nervously as he saw Yugi standing at the top of the stairs. So…odd! It looked like someone had placed a mirror on the top step! It was so uncanny.

“You’re clean—” Yami started and Yugi interrupted him again, shaking his head and pressing his hands to his ears. “Don’t speak. Don’t talk…I can’t hear you. Don’t talk to me!”

Slightly put off, Yami frowned and lifted the pot off the stove, feeling disgruntled.  
  
Fine.

He ladled the soup out into a bowl and pushed it across the kitchen counter, pointing at it silently. Eat.

He watched Yugi tiptoe down the stairs, his eyes wide, staring at the TV with a strange look on his face.

Yugi drifted over to the controller which was sitting on the couch and he tapped it, seeing the channels switch at his command. So…the TV was really on, so…who had turned this on?

“Who’s here?!” Yugi shouted shrilly, dropping the remote and gazing fearfully at his hallucination, who was frowning deeply at him. “Grandpa! Are you in the bathroom? Did you leave this on?!”

Yami felt the tiny hairs on his arm stand on end as he watched Yugi ignore him and crane his neck, staring into the empty bathroom down a narrow hallway.

Was this boy acting like this on purpose? Or…did the boy really think he wasn’t real?!

“I’m real,” Yami said firmly, and he saw Yugi blink fearfully at him, terrified.

“They always say that,” Yugi whispered, staring at the steaming bowl of soup on the counter, feeling his stomach churn painfully with hunger. “You always say that. And this is the first time…”

“Sure, whatever,” Yami said simply. Whatever.  
Whatever to get the boy to eat.

Feeling hungry himself, Yami grabbed a second bowl and helped himself to his own soup. He slid it across the counter and perched atop the barstool, placing his hands around the sides and sighing.

Was Seto eating well tonight? Was Seto sleeping well?

What about Mokuba? Was Mokuba telling Seto to eat and sleep well?

Trying his best not to think too much about it lest he cry in front of Yugi and frighten him even more, he sipped his soup gingerly, burning his tongue slightly as it was too hot.

He could feel his skin burning from the intensity of Yugi’s gaze, and he threw Yugi a careless glance, noticing that Yugi’s eyes were a lot rounder than his own.

 _He’s cuter than me,_ Yami thought, disgruntled, and he sipped his soup again, hearing Yugi stepping quietly across the carpet towards him.

Yugi stood right in front of his hallucination, taking in his spiky blonde bangs and his deep-toned skin, watching him lift the bowl to his lips.

Their eyes met, and Yugi looked away hastily, staring at the bowl of soup that was untouched on the counter.

He saw a stack of bills and a note. Untouched.

If this was a real person in his house, why had they not taken the money?!

Swallowing nervously, Yugi slipped the note out from underneath the bills and read it hastily, feeling the blood drain from his face as he did so.

Grandpa had left! Grandpa wasn’t home!  
  
“Where did this food come from?!” Yugi asked frantically, sweeping his gaze over the cutting board and knife, wondering if he had done this all himself. No way!  
He had been taking a bath! Had he cooked this before taking a bath?  
Was that why he couldn't remember how he got inside?  
Was that why he couldn't remember how he had ended up shirtless and at the top of the stairs?!  
  
“Please, just eat,” Yami said, exasperated. Yugi looked as if he was about to faint! And calling an ambulance was the last thing Yami wanted to do.

Thankfully, Yugi nodded slowly and sank into the seat, picking up the soup and sipping it slowly.

Yami nodded appreciatively, his gaze drifting towards the TV, seeing Seto and Mokuba’s faces flashing across it again.

The subtitles were going way too fast across the bottom of the screen, but Yami had just barely managed to catch a few words.

_“…arranged marriage …heir to the company…. His older brother being engaged is certainly….”_

_Another confirmation that Mokuba is Seto’s brother_ , Yami thought glumly to himself, and he caught Yugi’s side-eye again.

He looked directly at Yugi, and saw Yugi look away frantically, his cheeks and ears blushing deep red.

“What is it?” Yami asked, losing his patience. Why was this boy acting like a frightened mouse?!

Yugi set his empty bowl down on the counter with shaking hands, sneaking another peek at his hallucination through his spiky blonde bangs.

This guy…looked exactly like him, except he was prettier…and had better hair. 

 _Even my hallucinations are unfair,_ Yugi thought forlornly, gazing at the pot, wondering if there would be any soup, or if that was imagined too.

“You want more?” Yami asked aggressively, moving off the stool and circling the counter. He saw Yugi let out a gasp and shake his head vigorously, his cheeks turning redder and redder.

That meant “yes”.

Yami grabbed the entire pot and slid it underneath Yugi’s nose, seeing Yugi peer incredulously into it, his eyes widening happily.

“It’s all yours,” Yami said carelessly. He had lost his appetite.

Yugi took a deep breath and looked his hallucination right in the face, his heart thundering nervously in his ears as he spoke. “Go away.”

That usually worked. If he felt bad enough about it, they usually went away.

“It’s storming outside,” Yami said softly, curling his fingers tightly over his knees. “Do you really want to send me out there?”

“Yes,” Yugi replied angrily, grabbing the ladle and giving the soup a violent sip, burning his tongue terribly on the hot soup. “OW! Pttpht…OW what the heck!”

Yami leapt off the stool and quickly filled a cold glass of water from the refrigerator, his mind racing with confusion at Yugi’s behavior. Did he do that on purpose?!

He spun around and handed Yugi the glass of water, seeing Yugi staring at him incredulously again.

“For you…here!” Yami said, trying not to sound angry, but it was getting difficult. Why was this Yugi so strange?! If his friends were strange, he was the odd one out!

Yugi stared at the glass of water, wondering if it was floating in mid-air, or if someone was actually holding it out to him.

His hallucination set the glass down on the counter with a resounding clink, folding his arms and glaring at him angrily. “You sipped the hot soup on purpose…now drink.”

“You only know that because I thought it to you in my mind,” Yugi countered readily, grabbing the water and chugging it vigorously, hearing his hallucination make a strange noise.

“What’s your name?” Yami asked. Even though he knew, he wanted to establish a friendly relationship with this boy.

“You already know,” the boy shot back, setting the glass down heavily and glaring. “What’s yours?”

“Fine,” Yami said, on the brink of laughing and crying at the same time. This boy was crazy! “My name is Yami. Nice to meet you, Yugi.”

Yugi stared at him for a very long time before shaking his head and slurping the soup loudly. “Yeah, that’s not your name.”

“Okay, what’s my name then?” Yami challenged, feeling as if he was going crazy himself. Oh…what would he give to be in Seto’s warm embrace right now, rather than here?

“You’re me,” Yugi said plainly, leaning back into the chair with a satisfied sigh. “Don’t call yourself something else. That’s just weird.”

“Okay,” Yami said furiously, eyeing the upstairs bathroom which was still brightly lit. “You forgot to turn off the light.”

“You turn it off then,” Yugi said happily, folding his arms across his chest and eyeing his hallucination carefully. “Go on. You can cook and run baths. You don’t need me to turn it off.”

“I will,” Yami said, turning to walk back through the connecting door and into the game shop to grab his bag, calling over his shoulder, “And I will take a bath too, Yugi.”

“I already took a bath,” Yugi said heavily, watching his hallucination drag a heavy bag in through the doorway. “Why are you taking one when I already took a bath?”

Yami froze as a strange sense of shock trickled through his body, rooting him in place. Did Yugi think that they were the same person?!  
Was this boy…mentally ill?

“Take your medicine,” Yami said, trying not to sound bossy, but he saw Yugi rise to his feet and glare at him. “Go away. I already did, so go away. Why aren’t you going away?!”

“Because I’m real!” Yami hissed, feeling slightly faint.  
What was happening?  
What was this conversation?!  
Why was this boy being so…strange?!

“You can’t be real! I took my medicine!” Yugi shouted back, feeling dizzy.  
What was happening?!  
What was this conversation?!  
Why was this hallucination not going away?!

“Okay, I’m whatever you want me to be,” Yami said steadily, feeling exhaustion weigh heavily on his shoulders. First the guards this afternoon, and then Joey and Tristan…and now this. Could this day end?!

“I want you to be gone!” Yugi said hysterically, wondering if he ought to call Anzu. This was a really bad bout of hallucinations! This one wasn’t going away…and it was cooking for him, and he felt full after eating! This was the worst!

He reached his hand into his pocket and grabbed his phone, his shaking fingers dialing Anzu’s number.

Yami saw Yugi grab his phone to call the authorities, and he panicked, rushing forward and prying it out of his hands. He hit the ‘end’ button and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the call terminate before it went through.

He glanced down at the screen, reading the name slowly. “Anzu Mazaki”.

“Your girlfriend?” Yami asked knowingly, seeing Yugi gripping his own hand tightly, backing away frantically, his eyes darting wildly from side to side.

“It touched me…it touched me! You’re not real! You’re real! Are you real?! Where did you come from?!” Yugi panted, sinking to the floor in a sitting position as he felt his skin burn from the touch of his hallucination. “I know you’re not real. Anzu isn’t my girlfriend. Never in a million years. She’ll never—"

“Oh shit,” Yami said plainly, feeling his stomach drop down to his feet. Then…maybe he shouldn’t tell Yugi about the kiss….

Was there a way around this?! He had messed up badly!

“What?! What shit?! Yeah, there’s shit!” Yugi seethed, gazing up at his hallucination from the ground, his heart pounding loudly in his ears, seeing his hallucination smile weakly at him.

“I am you, right?” Yami asked lightly, seeing Yugi nod furiously and shake his head, pointing accusingly at him. “You are cooler than me. Stop it.”

“I’ll try,” Yami said reassuringly, dropping down to his knees and sitting cross-legged across from Yugi on the floor, watching Yugi inch away, still looking deeply shaken.

“You want to know what you did today, after leaving the arcade?” Yami asked carefully, his mind spinning as he wondered if this would work.

He saw Yugi slowly nod his head, drawing his knees up to his chest, holding his breath, waiting for him to speak.

“You won Tristan a pink stuffed hamster,” Yami said carefully, recounting the day in every detail. “Then, as everyone was about to leave the arcade, men in suits showed up, cornering us.”

“Kaiba-kun?!” Yugi cried shrilly, and Yami did a double-take, blinking so rapidly, he saw green. Did Yugi know Seto? Did Seto know about Yugi?!

 _Then…am I just a replacement for…this boy?!_ Yami thought, feeling a sudden rush of anger, and Yugi caught a dark look flitting across Yami’s face.

“Oh, yeah. That’s my hate coming through alright,” Yugi said adamantly. “Keep talking.”

“You know Seto Kaiba?” Yami asked hurriedly, seeing Yugi stare at him strangely and answer slowly. “No…I don’t think he knows I exist…but he definitely has it out for Joey….”

“Because Joey stole a...disk,” Yami repeated in monotone, seeing Yugi nod his head fervently. “Yeah, see? You do know! Go on, what else did I do today?”

Pushing his questions aside about the strange disk, Yami told Yugi about the way Tristan and Joey had bravely fought off the bodyguards and marked their faces with insults.

He saw Yugi frown at his detail. “Why didn’t you stop them?!”

“From doing what? Drawing on their faces, or fighting?!” Yami wondered, thinking that there was nothing he could have done. He was too busy trying to get away.

“Both!” Yugi said hastily, shaking his head and tugging on a strand of his spiky bangs, letting it spring back into place, and Yami watched this action closely, feeling strange as he mimicked Yugi’s moves, thinking that his hair also did the same thing when he pulled at it. How…odd!

“Well, it happened, so…we’ll have to deal with the consequences,” Yami said.

Seto would not punish Joey and Tristan for helping him in that moment. They weren’t even Seto’s guards! But…Yugi wouldn’t know that…so Yugi shouldn’t know that.

“Anything else?” Yugi pressed, leaning closer towards him, looking less frightened. “I guess we handled those guards pretty well, huh?”

“Well, you didn’t,” Yami said, biting back a smile. “Joey and Tristan did. You and Bakura hovered in the middle, watching and not helping. You kicked a guy in the face to help Joey, though!”

“Awesome,” Yugi said, grinning widely. “I’ll bet Tristan was proud.”

“He was,” Yami responded, feeling strangely out-of-place in his entire mind and body. Talking like this was so strange. He had really lived his past few days as Yugi, and Yugi was somehow fine with it. “He said, ‘Nice punch, Yugi, have you been practicing?’"

“I think I remember that,” Yugi said vaguely, nodding and smiling. “But I still don’t remember how I got home.”

 _He believes me?_ Yami though incredulously, and he hastily told Yugi about giving Joey and Tristan each 10,000 yen bills.

He watched Yugi’s face pale suddenly, and Yugi leapt to his feet, racing into the game shop to key in a code in the register.

The drawer sprang open and Yugi stared down at the stacks of cash sitting neatly in the tray.  

Yami frowned, watching Yugi quietly counting the bills under his breath and frown, scratching his head.

“There’s nothing missing. Where did the money come from?!”

“Oh,” Yami said hastily, forgetting that he had lied about that too. “They…it…we took it out of the guard’s pockets.”

“Ah, Seto Kaiba’s money,” Yugi said, shoving the drawer shut so hard, the entire register shook. “I see. That’s why you gave it all to Joey and Tristan. I would never…I would never…”

“Right,” Yami said steadily, reading Yugi’s expressions of worry with ease. “You would never steal off of an unconscious body.”

“Uh huh…” Yugi echoed uncertainly, moving back to sit on the floor in front of Yami at the foot of the stairs, and Yami stared at Yugi strangely, feeling an odd desire to give the boy a tight hug.

Yugi wasn’t a thug or a thief! He wasn’t rude or violent! He was the complete opposite! How did he come to be friends with such distasteful people?!

“And then Anzu kissed you in front of the convenience store,” Yami said hurriedly, knowing that that was the most important detail Yugi would want to know.

“WHAT?!” Yugi leapt to his feet again and grabbed his hair in distress, standing over his hallucination, wondering why he had been so forward with Anzu. S-Sure…Anzu was pretty…b-but…!

“No good?” Yami asked, resisting the urge to laugh at this adorable reaction. “She kissed you on the cheek. If you wanted a mouth-kiss, I would have to kiss you on the mouth if you really wanted it back.”

“No…N-No!” Yugi cried, shaking his head anxiously, feeling his cheeks burn. “I’m just glad Anzu doesn’t hate me!”

Why was his hallucination so lewd?! Actually, he wasn’t a hallucination anymore! He was a personality!

“Oh no…” Yugi whispered softly, palming his face painfully as he recalled the doctor warning him of latent dissociative identity disorder. Was today his first episode? Had they really gotten that bad?! How else would he explain the lapses in memory though?!

“Oh no…” Yami whispered softly, pressing his face into his palm as he recalled his interaction with Professor Okawa. Damn. He needed to tell Yugi about this too…just in case.

“Stop that! Don’t copy me!” Yugi said desperately, grabbing Yami’s wrists and prying his hands away from his face, feeling his palms burn at the contact. W-Warm! Hot! Like a real living body!

“I’m sorry!” Yami said earnestly, looking up into Yugi’s delicate face, appreciating how round his eyes were. He looked like a puppy.

“Do you know…Okawa sensei?” Yami asked heatedly, watching Yugi blush and nod, looking away with embarrassment.

“What did I do?” Yugi whispered, pressing his hands to his face, dreading what his personality was about to tell him. “Please tell me…I didn’t kiss him!”

“Do you want to kiss him?” Yami asked, trying not to sound aggressive as he recalled the professor’s hand on his leg.

“I…no,” Yugi lied, dipping his head down in embarrassment and sinking into a sitting position again. “I-If you’re me, then you know...a-about my weird dreams.”

“Weird how?” Yami pressed, thinking that he knew, but he needed to hear it directly from Yugi’s mouth. He watched Yugi hide his face in his hands, his ears bright red.

“It’s just…indecent,” Yugi said quietly, feeling his insides curl with embarrassment, and Yami gazed sympathetically at Yugi, repeating what the professor had said to him.

“I’ve caught you peeking at me, Yugi-kun. It makes my heart race,” Yami recited, seeing Yugi slowly raise his head, staring at him with a wide-eyed expression. “That’s what he said to you after he stumbled into you, drunk. Very drunk. Two nights ago.”

Yugi blinked, recalling that he had fallen asleep early two nights ago. Had he sleep-walked out?!

“What time was this?!” Yugi asked shrilly, seeing Yami answer his question readily. “Very late. You were probably asleep. 2AM.”

“You took me out when I was asleep?!” Yugi shook his head, feeling slightly afraid now. Could he control this alternate personality?! Or would this be happening often?!

“I had to,” Yami said steadily, feeling immensely guiltily as he recounted his stay with the professor, telling Yugi about how he had cleaned the apartment and cooked for him.

“I know how to cook, huh,” Yugi said faintly, tugging at a strand of his bangs again, making it spring upwards, and Yami realized that this was a nervous tick. “Where did you learn how to cook?”

And Yami had a completely truthful answer prepared. “Seto Kaiba’s manservant, Isono, taught me how to cook.” And he saw Yugi completely ignore this comment, so he pressed on with more questions.

“Are you sure you don’t know… a ‘Kaiba-kun’?” Yami asked, wrinkling his nose at the strange honorary. “Kun” meant that they had been friends…at one point, right?!

“We were classmates,” Yugi said plainly, pulling at his hair again, and Yami was so stunned at this information, he couldn't bring himself to ask any questions, so he just listened to Yugi talk.

“I guess you wouldn’t know, because you weren’t around until recently,” Yugi continued, wondering why he was talking to himself so much. “Kaiba-kun was definitely cooler and way too popular for me to even be near him. He hated me, I’m pretty sure.”

“You don’t know that,” Yami said hurriedly, thinking that Seto’s behavior was off-putting to everyone who’s name wasn’t Mokuba. “Deep down, he’s a kind person…”

“I know,” came Yugi’s reply. “But he was always so quiet, and he glared at everyone. Even the teacher…and everyone either worshipped him or hated him. I don’t even know what he was doing in school when he was already creating duel disks at the time. I guess…he wanted to be normal. I guess everyone wants to be normal…”

“Right,” Yami said encouragingly, drinking in this information with great interest. Seto had gone to school…with Yugi!  
Seto had had…a normal life! What had happened?!  
Why was he locked behind a desk and glass windows now?!  
Was it because of the duel disks?

“Why isn’t he at school with you anymore?” Yami asked tentatively, and Yugi stared at him for a long time before shaking his head. “I’m not going to talk about it. It’s bad luck.”

Yami frowned and nodded, thinking he would ask again later. Yugi would tell him eventually.

He rose to his feet slowly, watching Yugi gaze up at him with a strange expression. “Are you leaving now?”

“No,” Yami said gently, feeling his heart twist strangely at the expression Yugi was giving him. “I need to wash up. Wait for me in your room, won’t you?”

Yugi blinked at his hallucination, his mind spinning with a thousand questions, but the first one he really wanted to ask was, “A-Are you going to hurt me? I don’t want you controlling my life!”

Yami was taken aback by the sudden question, feeling slightly offended as no such thought had ever crossed his mind. If anything, he had been more concerned with Yugi hurting him!

“I’ll disappear after a few days,” Yami said vaguely, and he turned to head up the stairs, feeling as if there was a strange lump sitting inside his heart. Yugi…was such a pure soul!

* * *

Seto tossed and turned, feeling as if he was wasting time.

He had intended to stay in the office all night, but Mokuba had called him, crying and hiccupping incoherently, so he had hurried back to the mansion to calm him down.

He lay wide awake, alone in his bed, staring up at the blackness above him, feeling as if the air was being crushed out of his lungs.

Was this heartbreak? People had always said it was a feeling worse than death.  
This was worse than death.

Knowing that Yami was out there somewhere, probably not thinking about him, sleeping well…in some other guy’s bed.

Seto bolted upright, gritting his teeth and feeling his head spin.  
No.

He would not go there in his mind tonight.

Yami would not…Yami would not!

Lying back down carefully, Seto pressed his face into the pillows, inhaling deeply, wishing he could recreate Yami’s scent in his mind.

He couldn't do it.

Feeling tears stinging the corner of his eyes, Seto grit his teeth and forced his mind to go blank, wishing he could just sleep and forget.

If he had never met Yami, would he be suffering like this?

 _Probably_ , Seto thought darkly, punching his pillow angrily and rolling over onto his side.

Everything hurt.

* * *

Yami stepped out of the shower and unzipped his overnight bag.

He grabbed a shirt at random, catching a whiff of Seto’s scent drifting softly out of his bag, and he tensed excitedly, digging through his clothes for the source.

His fingers brushed against something silk, and he grabbed it, pulling out a pair of dark lounge pants with the tiny KC logo stitched into the pocket in the back.

Seto’s sleepwear!

 _What’s this doing in my bag?!_ Yami wondered curiously, and without hesitating, he pressed the fabric against his nose, inhaling deeply, feeling himself tearing up instantly.

He thought back to the last time Seto had touched him gently.

It was…when they were leaving the cruise ship in a hurry.

 _Our clothes must’ve gotten mixed up_ , Yami thought gratefully, giving the pants another deep inhale. Ah…this was a scent he had missed! It was a mixture of something sweet and warm….

 _I feel close to him like this,_ Yami thought sadly, gripping the fabric tightly, not wanting to put it down.

With a great effort, he stuffed it back into the bag and hastily got dressed.

He gave the bathroom a quick wipe-down before striding across the hall, and he stood tentatively at the doorway of Yugi’s room, seeing the boy sitting at his desk, muttering under his breath.

“Well…goodnight,” Yami said awkwardly, thinking he would sleep on the couch downstairs and leave tomorrow morning before Yugi woke up.

Yugi jumped and turned around slowly in his seat, staring at his hallucination in the doorway.

“Where are you going?” he asked curiously, wondering if he could catch his hallucination vanishing into thin air.

“Downstairs,” Yami said, giving Yugi a wave over his shoulder. “Be well, Yugi.”  
  
Goodbye.

Yugi blinked, watching his hallucination walk away from the door, and he called out to Yami nervously. “W-Wait!!”

The hallucination wasn’t bad company…and he didn’t want to be alone if it started to thunder!

Yami paused in the hallway, feeling a slight headache coming on.

Yugi jumped out of his chair and rushed into the hallway, staring nervously at his hallucination. “C-Come in and help me figure this out! You’re the worst friend ever.”

“I am, aren’t I?” Yami said sarcastically, surprised to see Yugi grab him by the wrist and drag him into the room, leading him towards the desk. His eyes widened as he stared down at the neat rows of playing cards with intricate art on the fronts.

“Duel Monsters?” Yami asked quietly, feeling very strange. There was no way to get away from things that reminded him of Seto!

Yugi looked into Yami’s face clearly for the first time, seeing his expression fall.

“You don’t like Duel Monsters?” Yugi asked uncertainly, wondering if it was possible for his other self not to like dueling.

“I don’t know how to play,” Yami answered truthfully, reaching out to touch a card. He lifted it up from the table and inspected it carefully, weighing it in his hand. Why was this heavier than paper?

“What?” Yugi said incredulously, scratching his head in confusion, and Yami watched him sit down on his bed, propping his elbows on his knees.

They stared at each other quietly for a long time while the rain crashed against the window, and Yami was the first to break the silence. He was burning with a thousand questions.

“What’s so good about these cards that Seto Kaiba invented?” Yami said carelessly, tossing the card back onto the table, seeing Yugi’s eyes widen.

“Seto Kaiba did not invent Duel Monsters, are you crazy?” Yugi cried, shaking his head with disbelief. “Maximillion Pegasus did! Kaiba-kun is the duel champion who made the duel disk system!”

Where was his hallucination getting this crazy information from?!

“Ah,” Yami responded cryptically, and he felt like slapping himself.  
Right.  
Of course Seto would be the champion.  
That would also explain why Pegasus acted so attached to his owner while they were on the ship! Everything made sense.

“Are you okay?” Yugi asked quietly, and he glanced down at the floor, hugging himself tightly. “Am I okay?”

“You’re fine,” Yami answered shortly, watching Yugi lie down on his bed and pat the pillow beside him. He stared incredulously, wondering if his strange twin really wanted to sleep in the same bed as him.

“Come here!” Yugi insisted, sticking his feet underneath the covers. “It’s colder downstairs anyway. Sleep here.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Yami reluctantly complied. He eased himself down onto the small bed beside Yugi, watching Yugi smile at him and nod encouragingly.

“Let’s talk until I can fall asleep,” Yugi said adamantly, grabbing his phone and staring at it intensely. “You’re here anyway. Where are you gonna go?”

“Nowhere, you’re right,” Yami answered hesitantly, gently lowering his head down on the pillow, staring at the way the phone’s light reflected off of Yugi’s rounded cheeks. So…cute!

The covers were thrown over his head, and Yami tensed, feeling Yugi shifting beside him softly, and his heart thudded loudly in his ears. Warm…so warm…how many days had it been since he had someone in his bed?!

“Cold,” Yugi grumbled, turning over, still scrolling through his phone. He paused, and hesitated for a moment before asking, “Okay, fine. You win. What’s your name?”

“It’s Yami,” Yami said warmly, closing his eyes gratefully and sinking into the soft mattress. Not that it mattered. Yugi was kind.

Yugi turned over again, his wide violet eyes blinking at him in the semi-darkness, and Yami felt his chest constrict in his chest. Wh-What…?

“You’re not bad,” Yugi said, wrinkling his nose and shoving his phone underneath his pillow. “Yami.”

Yami nodded, feeling an odd sense of relief wash over him. He didn’t know if he could stomach hostile feelings from this boy who looked exactly like him.

“Wake me up tomorrow if you’re still here,” Yugi said, his voice muffled under the covers, and Yami felt a warm ankle loop through his. He tensed, listening to Yugi’s soft breathing beside his ear, and he dared himself to turn his head to stare.

Yugi’s eyes were closed, and his breathing was growing deep and even. His mouth moved suddenly when he spoke. “Stop staring me. Sleep.”

Blinking rapidly in surprise, Yami bit back a chuckle and shut his eyes, forcing himself to relax. This was…strangely nice too.

Yami sighed. He pushed Seto’s face out of his mind and let the soft, even sounds of Yugi’s breathing lull him into a light sleep.

* * *

Seto sank into the hard leather seats of his limo and shut the door with unnecessary force as the car drove off his property.

He slid his phone out, aimlessly tapping on the GPS attached to Yami’s bracelets, hating himself as he saw the two red dots sitting in his own room. God…dammit.

He squinted at the notification count on his twitter. Why the hell were there over 8K mentions?

Seto opened the app and trembled as he felt his heart stop in his chest.

It was a photo of Yami. Yami was smiling brightly into the camera while two vaguely familiar faces grinned nastily back at him.

He scrolled through the feed, a strange fire consuming his body as he searched for the original poster of the photo.

Found him.

Tribikes_H.

Seto tapped on the profile, hissing in annoyance to see that it was private. Without thinking, he hit ‘follow’ and watched the feed refresh with a few videos.

Loud drinking at a bar. Karaoke. Graffitiing the karaoke doors. Where was Yami in all of these videos? This person was a delinquent!

Scrolling down desperately, Seto spied the photo of Yami smiling again, and he made sure to save the photo before continuing down, and his heart skipped a beat in his chest when he saw a video begin playing.

“Hey hey…took you long enough!” and a black marker exchanged hands as the camera shook violently, presumably as the person filming passed the phone to his friend.

A boy with styled brown hair wearing a blue Domino school uniform appeared in the frame, grinning impishly, hovering over an unconscious body of a man in a suit.

“Ready?” he said happily, uncapping the black marker and aggressively poking it into the face of the unconscious man as he wrote messily across the man’s forehead. “Seto…Kaiba…is…a pig…fucker…! HA! Next!”

The camera changed hands again, and a blonde appeared in the frame, squatting over another man in a suit.

Seto watched with increasing interest as the blonde spit in the man’s face and began stripping the man of his clothes and scribbled vile insults across his chest.

“Penis penis penis…gaping vagina...butthole…Kaiba is…a…cunty bitch! Hah!” The blonde cried obnoxiously, giving the camera a middle finger. “That’ll teach you to send your guards after me. Just give me the duel disk for free, you fucking miser.”

“You should’ve written ‘miser’ instead of butthole, you fucking idiot,” the voice off camera said angrily. “Give me that marker—” and the video cut off from there.

Seto blinked, holding his breath, not daring to believe his luck.

Yami. Yami had passed by here, because those were _not_ his guards. Those were Annabelle’s guards.

Where was this video taken?!

Downtown Domino Arcade.

Seto pried his briefcase open to slip out his laptop, his body shaking with desperation.  
  
This video had been posted yesterday!  
But this was better than nothing!  
This was faster than running his facial recognition through the city quadrant by quadrant!

Seto grit his teeth and carefully accessed the arcade’s security feeds, matching the time stamp from the insulting video to yesterday’s logs, and he paused the feed hastily, seeing Yami walk into the establishment.

He stared at the screen, not daring to blink lest he miss something. He watched Yami casually lift a blue blazer from off the back of a chair and throw it on over his shoulders, moving steadily through the arcade.

Seto held his breath, watching the blonde boy tackle Yami into a chokehold and force him into the seat. Their body language all looked very…familiar. Why was Yami acting like friends with these delinquents?

Amazed, Seto watched Yami win a stuffed toy from the machine with ease, and he tensed as he saw the guards appear out of nowhere and move in close formation, closing in on the aisle where Yami was.

He watched closely as the blonde boy grabbed Yami and threw a protective arm across his chest, appearing to shout at his brown-haired friend who had hurled himself at three burly men in suits.

Seto leaned back into his seat, unable to believe his eyes. Both boys stood proudly over the unconscious bodies as a white-haired student led Yami away by the arm.

Yami had…somehow convinced the students to protect him from the guards? But when had he had time to say anything like that?

Seto rolled the tape back, watching their movements closely again, seeing the blonde boy loops his arm around Yami’s neck in a friendly tackle. How was this possible?!

Hissing in annoyance, he tabbed back to his twitter and scrolled through the brown-haired boy’s feed, feeling a cold horror consume him as he vaguely remembered these boys from his brief time at Domino High.

Honda, was it? Him and his group of delinquent lackeys…

The blonde was Jounouchi Katsuya!

 _I remember him!_ Seto realized with a jolt, and he pressed a hand to his head, reeling.

Katsuya was already in his records for stealing a duel disk from a promotional tent….and he was best friends with someone named…Yugi.

Filled with determination, Seto hastily searched Yugi’s name, finding a very inactive twitter.

 _Fuck it,_ Seto growled to himself as he thoughtlessly hacked Domino High’s records to pull Yugi’s emergency contact information.

The limo pulled to a slow stop in front of his skyscraper, and Seto made no move to get out, frantically scanning the file. He copied the address triumphantly and sent the coordinates to the car’s GPS.

Kame Game shop.

“Mr. Kaiba,” his driver spoke up, and Seto interrupted him rudely. “New location. It’s already in. And drive fast, you imbecile.”

“R-Right away!” the man stammered, pulling away from the curb and speeding off down the street.

* * *

Yami quietly eased out of Yugi’s bed and spied a bright yellow strap peeking out of the closet. He walked towards it and nudged the closet door aside, pleased to discover that it was an empty backpack. Perfect! He would now transfer everything from the duffle bag into this!

He tiptoed down the stairs and threw the yellow backpack beside the duffel bag on the floor, carefully stuffing all his clothes into it, feeling slightly guilty.

Yami then moved towards the kitchen, thinking he would cook breakfast and leave it on the counter for Yugi when he woke up.

* * *

Seto climbed out of the car and slammed the door ferociously, striding towards the bright green door, the sun stinging his eyes as he blinked.

He pounded heavily on the door, resisting the urge to kick it in. “Yugi Mutou!”

Yami dropped the spatula in the pan with a terrified splat into his eggs, his heart thudding frantically in his chest. Wh-Whoever was screaming…sounded scary!

There was a loud ring, and a pause, before the ringing chimed again and again.

Outside, Seto was stabbing the doorbell with great force as he shielded the glass from the sun, peering into the dark game shop.

His heart leapt nervously in his chest as he dared himself to hope.  
  
Maybe…just maybe…Yami was here! He was hiding out here, as a student!

Yami shut the flame off and hastily scraped the eggs onto an empty plate, setting the pan down and placing his hands over his ears as the ringing became intensely annoying.

Maybe he ought to wake Yugi…!

Just as that thought left his mind, a loud rush of footsteps came pattering down from upstairs as Yugi bolted past him to answer the door. “Coming!”

Panicking, Yami inched around the counter and grabbed his bag.

He was leaving, now! He had been messing around in Yugi’s life for too long!

Yami held his breath and quietly eased himself out through the sliding glass door and out into the back alleyway behind the building, shutting it carefully behind himself and breathing a tight sigh of relief.

He hurried away hastily, his heart thudding in his chest with terror.

He hoped Yugi would be okay.

Whoever that person was at the door, they didn’t sound happy.

Meanwhile, back inside the game shop, Yugi inched the door back tentatively, and was pushed back from the sudden force of the door swinging open.

He stumbled back slightly as the door grazed his cheek painfully.

“Ow!” Yugi cried, doubling over and pressing a hand to his face, his eyes watering from the terrible combination of the bright sun and throbbing bruise that was probably going to form on his cheek.

“Yami!” Seto hissed triumphantly, and Yugi felt a hand come down in his hair, yanking his head up forcefully.

The next thing he knew, he was being crushed into a hug so tight, he couldn't breathe. His chin rubbed tightly against the lapels of a stiff suit, and he squirmed uncomfortably, frantically trying to push the stranger away.

“You fucking…gave me a fucking…heart attack,” a familiar voice muffled into his shoulder, and Yugi stiffened nervously, seeing a burly man in a black suit standing just behind the stranger who was hugging him.

Seto inhaled deeply, his mind humming with relief as Yami’s warm, exotic scent flooded his senses, and he shut his eyes, swaying dangerously on his feet.  
  
Finally. Thank god. Thank every god. Yami was safe.  
  
Yami was acting so fucking stiff. Why the hell wasn’t Yami hugging him back? Maybe a kiss then….

Seto pressed his lips tightly against the skin on Yami’s neck, opening his mouth wide and giving him a firm bite, hearing him let out a shrill yell.

“Yeah, you like that? You little shit,” Seto smiled against Yami’s skin, burying his nose into the mess of spiky hair behind his ear. “We’re going home.”

 _Home?! I am home!_ Yugi thought as he panicked and kicked out every which way, wondering why he was being molested by a stranger wearing a suit. Was this something his personality had done last night while he had been asleep? He was being called Yami!

“Get off me! Please get off me!” Yugi shut his eyes and trembled as he felt a hot breath graze his skin as teeth pressed against the shell of his ear.

Seto frowned and opened his eyes, staring at Yami’s ear, wondering why it had changed color. The skin was pale. Also…his voice sounded strange.

Seto jerked back and held Yami away at an arm’s length, his heart thudding frantically in his chest as he stared into a strangely familiar face.

Yugi blinked, stifling a gasp as he stared up into Seto Kaiba’s handsome face, his blue eyes wide with shock.

 _Not Yami! This is not Yami!_ Seto thought as he froze, and he began panicking internally.  
This was…Yugi!  
A delicate face…with round eyes and fuller cheeks…pale skin…tamer hair….

This was Yugi!

Had he always looked this…this fucking cute?!  
Holy fuck.  
Holy fuck nuts.

Yugi looked away quickly as Kaiba’s gaze seemed to drill holes through him, causing his face to burn with embarrassment.

Of course Yami would’ve gone out last night and baited Seto Kaiba…somehow. How?! First Okawa sensei, and now Seto Kaiba?

“Where is he?” Kaiba managed to speak, feeling his throat burn as he struggled to suppress a scream that was climbing up his chest and threatening to spill out.

“W-Who?” Yugi squeaked, backing away slowly, relieved that Kaiba was no longer holding tightly onto his shoulders. A…hug! They had hugged…and almost kissed!  
Th-This was bad.

“You need to leave!” Yugi insisted, moving to shut the door. “I’m the only one home!” Yami doesn’t exist.

“Don’t fucking lie,” Kaiba hissed, stepping inside without invitation and striding through the game shop purposefully. He spied the connecting door and walked right through it, ignoring Yugi’s shrill protests.

“Hey! You can’t go in there! Kaiba-kun!”

Yugi dashed into the house after Kaiba’s tall silhouette. He tripped clumsily on his own feet and went careening into Kaiba’s broad back as he stepped into the living room.

Kaiba stiffened as he felt Yugi bump into his back, but he ignored it, clenching his jaw as he swept his gaze over the uneaten plate of scrambled eggs on the counter.

One plate. Only one plate.

He strode over to the kitchen and glanced around frantically. Everything was clean and spotless.

“Please, Kaiba-kun, you need to leave,” Yugi said hoarsely, rubbing at the sore spot on his neck as he felt weak in the knees. Wh-What if Kaiba expected sex?! What had Yami promised him? What was Kaiba looking for?!

“What took you so long to answer the damn door?” Seto rounded on Yugi, seeing him stammer and back away nervously. This apartment was too tiny for Yami to be hiding anywhere. Yugi must know where Yami is!

“I…I didn’t hear it!” Yugi cried defensively, wondering if he ought to yell or call for help. But who would he call? Who in their right mind would arrest Domino City’s golden boy?

Yugi watched with bated breath as Kaiba continued to trespass through his home, his long legs climbing the stairs up to his room four at a time.

Kaiba swept his gaze around the tiny room and Yugi rushed up behind him, panting and glaring at him angrily.

With Yugi’s shouts ringing in his ears, Kaiba stormed out of the game shop and flung himself into the backseat of his limousine, fuming.  

A fucking dead end. Where the fuck was Yami?!

* * *

Yami was hurrying down the sidewalk as quickly as he could, keeping close to overhangs of buildings as rain continued to pour down heavily.  
His stomach was growling with hunger. Food. He needed food, but first….

He rolled up the duffel bag and stuffed it into the nearest dumpster in a deserted alleyway, making sure to keep close to the wall as he hurried away. He could feel the spare change clinking against the metal pin inside his pocket.

Yami paused in his step and pulled it out, staring at the silver metal gleaming in the palm of his hand. Now he finally knew what the logo meant.  
They were the letters K and C.  
The K was for Kaiba, and the C was corporation.

It wasn’t anything pretentious like he had originally thought!

Yami closed his fingers tightly over the metal pin, feeling rain soaking lightly onto his shoulders, and he grit his teeth tightly, willing himself to keep it together.  
He would not cry. He would not cry.  
Crying was pointless and useless.

He needed to get out of Domino City, away from where everything was branded with his owner’s logo.

It should be safe to take the train today.

* * *

There was a soft knock on the door and Seto trembled with repressed anger and frustration at himself.

“Mr. Kaiba?” His secretary eased the door open and stepped quietly into the room, smiling softly at him. “It’s getting late and I don’t want to get caught in the thunderstorm. This is the second day of heavy rain! I stepped in a pud—”

She paused in the middle of her sentence, shocked as she saw tears streaming down Kaiba’s face as he sat staring blankly at his computer screen.

“A-Ah…! Are you okay?” she asked frantically, lowering her gaze and looking away. What a strange moment of weakness…!

Seto blinked and frowned, feeling his cheeks sting with an odd wetness. Oh fucking shit on a stick. Tears?!

He brushed them away angrily and tried to glare at his secretary, seeing her bowed forward so low, only the dark swirl of her hair was visible. What did she want?

“I’ll leave now,” she said, straightening up hastily. “I know you probably want to reflect on your own happiness!”

“Happiness? Fucking right,” Seto said sarcastically as he let out a dry laugh, thinking that she had misunderstood the situation completely.  
  
Happiness?  
More like, sick with worry.  
Heartbroken.  
Fucking left behind.  
Deserted.  
Betrayed.  
  
“I-It’s not a happy time for you?” she asked tentatively, her voice shaking with incredulity. “You should be happy…he’s happy! You both deserve to be happy! Don’t worry about the criticism you will face! I support you both!”

Seto blinked, his senses sharpening instantly. What?

“How do you know that?” Seto snapped, advancing towards her, seeing her blink and shake her head frantically, attempting to smile at him.

“I-I’m sorry!” she stammered, “I like to pry, you know that! A-And he smiled so shyly...it warmed my heart!”

“Who?” Kaiba demanded, towering over her. Was Yami somehow…near her?!

“Th-...Your…the foreigner,” she said anxiously, wringing her hands in front of her. “I apologize for forgetting his name….”

“Nevermind that,” Seto hissed impatiently, his heart racing with a sliver of hope. Yami was smart…had he managed to find his secretary somehow?!

“What did he say?”

“He said the same thing you did,” his secretary answered, looking dazed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He acted as if it was nothing, but he’s wearing the same ring as you…it’s as clear as day!”

“When did this happen?!” Seto asked frantically, seeing her stare at him strangely.

“A few days ago,” she said vaguely, and Seto grit his teeth, pressing her further. “Which day…and when?!”

Each day mattered.  
Every second Yami wasn’t by his side, he was in danger.

“Why, on the day after we got photographed!” she answered, beginning to sound irritated. “Why are you asking so many questions? You’re getting annoying!”

Seto turned away from her and stared down at the lights of Domino City beneath him, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. She had information…! She had spoken to Yami…days ago?! How was this possible?!

 _I can’t lie to her and expect the truth in return,_ Seto balked to himself. If he wanted his secretary to help him, he needed to be truthful in return.  
Whatever. It was for Yami’s sake.

“M-Mr. Kaiba?” she asked hesitantly, and Seto whirled around, feeling his eyes watering terribly again and he realized with a jolt that tears were somehow making their way down his cheeks again. Godammit…why?!

She stared at him unblinkingly and pressed a hand to her mouth, her brows furrowed with deep worry. “I-Is everything okay?”

“He left me…” Seto managed through his clenched teeth, and as soon as the words left his mouth, the pain of Yami’s absence enveloped him completely, and the reality of it was painful.  
What if he could never hold Yami again?  
What if he could never touch Yami again?  
Never feel the warmth of Yami’s skin against his, feel his lips on his lips?  
Laugh, joke, and cry with him?  
Yami wasn’t someone who was easily replaceable!

“What?!” she shrieked, taking a step back and shaking her head while ranting furiously. “No, don’t lie to me, Seto Kaiba. He looked happy while letting me touch his hand so I could see the ring better. He did not leave you. Don’t say shit like that.”

Seto eyed her headily, palming the wetness off his chin, hating himself.  
  
Sure, whatever.

Wait…what?

She had…touched him?!

“Tell me everything,” Seto said hastily, feeling his eyelids hurt as he blinked. “Your interaction with him, from the very beginning.”

“Don’t make me tell you when you could just go talk to him about it,” she said haughtily, planting her feet apart resolutely. “I’m not a telephone. Go talk to him instead of wallowing in your own head.”

“How the fuck do I do that?” Seto hissed, losing his patience completely. “What part of ‘he left me’ do you not understand?”

“Oh my god, Seto Kaiba, you are such an unmotivated person,” she said coldly, eyeing him angrily. “When someone supposedly ‘breaks up’ with you, you chase after them any way you can, with your entire heart and soul! Or are you really that helpless?”

“Fuck you!” Seto said weakly, his knees threatening to give out beneath him at any second. Why was she being so fucking unsympathetic?!

Of course he was doing everything in his power to find Yami!

He had spent the entire day illegally inserting a facial recognition program into the city’s security infrastructure!

“Right, well, don’t remind me,” she said coldly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Go knock on his door and fucking talk to him. It’s not that hard. Why are you so emotionally stunted? I get that we’re the same age but—”

“His door?!” Kaiba reeled, gripping the edge of his desk, wondering if he was going crazy.

Why was she talking about this so…fucking…normally?!

“Ah, you don’t know where he lives?!” she asked incredulously.

Her lips curved into an amused smile and she threw her head back, laughing heartily.

“How you are engaged when you’ve never been to his apartment is beyond me! You must really be in love with him! Look at you…crying, thinking there’s ‘nothing you can do’! Go do something!”

Seto felt relief blanket him so entirely, causing his knees to grow weak. He sat down heavily in his chair, palming his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he felt a dangerous bout of laughter bubbling up in his chest.  
  
Yami had already found a place to live?!

He had been worrying all this time…and Yami had been living somewhere safely since the day he had left.

Yami…was so resourceful.

“Okay, you’ve got me,” Seto said heavily, feeling his neck and shoulders ache. “Where does he live?”

She grinned and sang playfully, “Right…next…door to me!”

Seto blinked, feeling the room swim.

Her voice sounded hollow and far away as she continued speaking. “I heard him vacuuming at three in the morning, and I knocked on his door to ask him to stop. We gossiped about the professor for a bit, and…”

Kaiba didn’t hear the rest of her words. They had…gossiped about the…professor….

Professor Okawa?!

His secretary was still speaking. “…He’s really sweet. I can understand that a fight may have happened due to our cultural differences…”

Kaiba rose from his desk, shaking with anger and determination.  
Yami was nearby!  
The apartment buildings were only ten minutes away…if he drove fast.  
  
Move.  
Move now!

He swept his laptop up under his arm and hastily stuck his phone in his pocket, leaving his briefcase on his desk.

His secretary stopped speaking, blinking at him strangely, watching him silently grab his coat and brush past her. 

“You’re going to apologize to him?” she called hopefully, seeing Kaiba’s shadow disappear out through the swinging office doors.

He’s _going to apologize to_ me _!_ Seto seethed, stabbing the elevator button with his finger, his heart thundering in his chest.  
  
Yami had casually moved on to live with another man…!  
How dare he!

* * *

Yami felt his forehead knock against something cold, and he jerked awake, realizing he had fallen asleep in his seat.

He sighed, staring out the dark window.

He had purchased bullet train tickets in an attempt to get as far away from Domino City as he possibly could.

 _Seto_ , Yami thought miserably, pressing his cheek down into the backpack on his lap, biting back a mournful sigh.

He raised his head and stared glumly at the screen displaying the news above him.  
  
The newscaster was talking very fast, and the face of Seto and a photo of his cropped hand wearing the silver ring were hovering in the far-right corner.

Yami ducked his head down again and turned the ring on his finger, feeling his heart swell with emotion. He would treasure this ring until the end of time.

This ring and the silver pin were the only things left that were reminders that his time with Seto was real.

Isono had said he couldn't go back.  
  
But maybe…Seto would find him.

 _But…given my owner’s prowess and skills with computers and security cameras, why haven’t I been found yet?_ Yami thought angrily, clenching his fists. _I want to be caught._

Yami gazed sullenly out the window, seeing stray drops of rain hit the glass.  
  
Maybe…Seto was letting him go.

That thought hurt, and Yami let his breath out slowly.

Seto was kind…kind enough to let him leave!

The train rocked gently from side to side and Yami curled his fingers tightly over his knees, feeling a rush of anger and desperation. Why was Seto being so kind?!

The train pulled to a gentle stop, and Yami watched as a few people got off.  
This wasn’t his stop.  
Two more stops.

Yami blinked, seeing four men in dark suits step into the train, and his blood ran cold. They were all wearing ear pieces this time, and none of them wore the silver KC badge on their lapels.

 _More men?!_ Yami thought frantically, wondering how he could get past the men without attracting their attention.  
How were these men everywhere?!  
Lina’s owner was smart…perhaps she was even smarter than Seto, and that thought was terrifying.

Yami held his breath and ducked down low, peering through the gaps of the seats to watch as the men walked in the opposite direction, keeping in tight formation, and he shivered.

These men looked like they had more experience than the other men from the arcade.

 _I’m trapped!_ Yami screamed internally, forcing himself to breathe evenly.

How did you escape in an enclosed space crowded with people?

* * *

**Author’s note:**

YLJE, thank you for editing this chapter so well!

Last chapter is coming soon! This Saturday (5-5-2018)

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Much love,

UGLI


	30. but I am still a monster inside.

**Warning:** this chapter contains disturbing content.

Readers who are sensitive, please proceed with caution.

* * *

 Seto stood in the elevator, his heart racing furiously in his chest as he fumed.

The clerk at the front desk had been extremely unhelpful, so he had resorted to scrambling the elevator’s card-reader using his phone.

He had his mind on one thing.  
Yami. Yami inside Okawa’s apartment.

The doors slid open and he stepped out hastily, dashing through the hallway, the glowing numbers flashing by in his peripheral vision as everything began to blur.

Yami.  
Was Yami fucking the math professor?  
Yami had carelessly thrown his virginity at that man?!

What method would he use to kill the professor to satiate the rage burning inside of him?

Seto pounded his fist on the door.  
The banging noise made his own ears ring and his arm stung from the impact of hitting the heavy metal door.

Okawa jumped when he heard the loud pounding echoing through his apartment, and he hastily stepped out of the bath, quickly wrapping a towel around his waist and inching towards the door, wondering if it was the spiky-haired foreigner.

“Open the fucking door!” Kaiba shouted, his voice traveling intrusively up and down the hallway.

After a moment, he saw a few doors open, and several curious sleepy-eyed people peered out to glare, before ducking back inside and slamming their doors angrily.

Seto kicked the door violently, hearing the bang echo around him as his toes stung.

Was there no one home?!

Okawa tentatively peered through the peephole and swallowed nervously, shaking with fear. It wasn’t the spiky-haired foreigner. It was Seto Kaiba.

Seto raised his fist and slammed it against the door again. “Fucking open—"

The latch clicked and the door inched back a centimeter. Hissing with annoyance, Seto pushed against the door with all his might, hearing a fearful yelp coming from behind it.

Okawa stumbled back from the sudden force of the door and he fell on his ass, the knot of his towel coming undone and falling to the floor around his waist. His face turned beet red as he scrambled to cover is modesty, his hands shaking terribly, his head lowered in shame.

Seto towered above the naked man, hating him.  
Interrupted in the heat of the moment with Yami?  
Well…fuck this ingrate.

Gritting his teeth in anger, Kaiba stepped over him and swept his gaze around the man’s apartment, wondering if Yami was hiding here somewhere.  
Empty.  
There was no one here.  
  
The bathroom door was open.

Seto strode towards it, his heart thudding painfully in his chest, deaf to the man’s stammers coming from behind him.

A bath full of steaming water, and Yami was nowhere to be seen.

Upstairs.

Seto turned and leapt up the stairs, barging into the man’s private room, seeing only an unmade futon on the ground.

Closet.

He slid the wooden doors back, seeing nothing but racks of clothes, hearing Okawa’s footsteps coming up the stairs behind him as his heart slowed down in his ears and became a steady hum.  
  
Yami was not here.  
Yami was not here!

“M-Mr. Kaiba!” Okawa gasped, gripping the doorframe, feeling faint as he watched the CEO search his room in a frantic haste. “Wh-What a…s-sur-p--”

“Where is he?” Kaiba growled, using an enormous effort to keep from shouting. He clenched his fists at his sides as he turned to face the professor, feeling the cold sweat pool in his palms.

“W-Who?” the man whispered meekly, somehow mustering up enough courage to play dumb.

“You…know…who!” Kaiba enunciated through clenched teeth, his panic rising quickly. He was so close to finding Yami…! Now if only this man would speak!

“He left,” the professor said shakily, attempting to compose himself as his towel kept slipping comically off from around his waist, which was causing him to accidentally expose himself to Kaiba every time the towel fell.

“When!” Seto half-shouted, resisting the urge to hit something. Everything was shitty and idiotic and this man kept flashing his penis. Where was God when you needed him?!

“A-A few…A few…A few days ago!” the man shook from head to toe, his face quickly losing color as Kaiba advanced on him threateningly.

“How many days ago, you fucking COCK!” Seto shouted himself hoarse, feeling himself explode. Why were people such fucking idiots!  
  
He had lost his resolve and his ears rang with the sound of his own voice.  
Shit.  
Now all the neighbors could hear.

He saw the man blink fearfully and open his mouth, attempting to answer, but no sound came out.

“And how many times did you have sex with him?” Kaiba added spitefully, seeing the man pale even more as he shook his head frantically, but that accusation seemed to scare the voice back into him.

“No…No! W-We did nothing like that, Mr. Kaiba, please understand!” the professor pleaded, sinking slowly to his knees formally, holding his hands out in front of him in a prayer motion, his eyes wide with desperation as he ranted incoherently.

“Please…Please. He left three days ago…I think! It was the day your house was searched! No…it was the day before that! No... I-It was that day. That night! That day! The next day!”

Seto felt the room swim around him violently as his legs grew weak.

H-He had gone…backwards!  
He had gone backwards in his search for Yami!

Yami was here first! This was Yami’s first stop!  
The arcade and Yugi’s house…was his most recent stop!  
Yugi…had even smelled like Yami!  
Had Yami slept with Yugi?!

“I thought…you called him back to your house….” Okawa whispered fearfully, lowering his hands onto his knees as he continued to sit formally on the floor. “He’s carrying one of your badges…I f-found it in the—”

Seto stopped listening.

A stinging pain shot up through his legs, and he realized he had fallen to his knees. Thank…fuck! Yami had taken that GPS with him?!  
Thank god. Thank every god!

With shaking hands, he slid his phone out of his pocket, tapping on the map and accessing his own GPS, forcing himself to breathe as he trembled with relief.

The app loaded and refreshed, showing a red dot labeled “Seto” zooming out of city limits at 300 kilometers per hour.

His heart stopped in his chest as he realized…Yami was only just leaving the city! Right the fuck now!

Would he be able to catch Yami if he got into the jet…now?! Worth a try!

Seto rose to his feet, still feeling oddly weak. There was a way. There was still a way! If Yami did not discard the GPS after he got off the train…then there was hope!

Without hesitating, Seto stepped past the professor, rushing down the stairs and out the door, pressing the phone to his ear and counting the rings as he threw himself into the elevator and smashed the lobby button with a vengeance.

“Master Kaiba…” Isono answered the phone quietly and Kaiba talked over him in a furious rush. “The jet better be fucking fueled and ready to launch off the roof by the time I get back or I’ll—” the phone clicked off in his ear before he could finish his threat, and he shoved the phone into his pocket, his breathing shallow and frantic.

“Found you,” Seto hissed, glaring down at the red dot zooming across his screen, feeling his stomach swoop as the elevator descended quickly.

 There was nowhere on this Earth where Yami could hide.

* * *

Yami rose from his seat and moved towards the back of the train car, cursing himself for not exploring the train ahead of time to scope out hiding places.

The guards had gone towards the front of the train. Going towards the back should be safe.

As Yami carefully inched his way down the narrow aisle, he breathed a soft sigh of relief as the train began slowing down at a stop. This wasn’t his stop, but he was getting off anyway.

A few people rose out of their seats and gathered their things noisily. Thankful for the cover of a crowd of people, Yami mingled with the passengers deboarding.

Fear seized him once more as he saw a different set of men in dark suits, heading his way, coming from the back of the train. There were…two groups of men!

 _Hurry…hurry!_ Yami prayed, gripping the strap of his backpack tightly, now hating that it was a bright yellow color. The train had slowed to a slow crawl but it hadn’t stopped yet.

Yami ducked his head down, holding his breath, hoping that the people around him would shield him long enough so that he could exit the train safely.

A man was unfolding a baby stroller and people began to move aside to make room, and Yami cursed privately, hugging the wall, wishing there were more people getting off at this stop.  
Where was this? It didn’t matter.  
Off the train. Off the train now!

Finally the train slowed to a stop and the doors hissed open just as Yami heard a quiet murmur behind him. “I think I see him….”

Shit.

Yami pressed forward with the crowd, feeling a hard yank on the top of his backpack, but he twisted away, surging forward and pushing his way through the group of people.

He dashed onto the platform, hearing startled gasps all around him. He raced down the station stairs, risking a frantic glance over his shoulder, seeing the group of men in dark suits rushing down the steps behind him, speaking into their sleeves and earpieces.

Shit. Shit!

And the station was now almost deserted. Where were the crowds of people?!

Panting breathlessly and panicking, Yami barreled through the two guards standing by the metal detectors and he leapt over the spinning ticket barriers, hearing the stationmaster shout at him. “Hey! What are you doing?!”

Ignoring everything, with his gaze focused on the exit, Yami sprinted towards the stairs leading up to open air, hearing the rush of footsteps getting farther away. The guards had stopped at the barrier? Good. Time to gain more distance.

Yami took deep, even breaths, preparing himself to run for a long while as he burst out of the station and glanced around the empty streets.

It was dark, and the streets were sparsely lit with yellow street lamps. There wasn’t even a taxi in sight. Hide. Hide.

Keeping close to the shadow cast by a building, Yami ran down the sidewalk, his heart thudding painfully in his chest as a loud rumbling noise echoed like thunder above him.

Terrified, he ducked into an alleyway and glanced up frantically, seeing a dark shadow of a fighter jet passing above him in the sky. A bomber jet! Was Japan being attacked?! Impossible! Or was it?  
  
The only news he had been watching was the celebrity gossip which followed Seto’s movements!

 _I’m stupid!_ Yami hissed to himself, rushing down the alleyway and skidding to a halt when he saw the men in suits blocking his path.

Whirling around in fear, Yami tried to go back the way he came, but he heard the footsteps before he saw them, and soon, four large burly men towered at the mouth of his exit.  
  
Their shadows cast threatening shapes on the dimly lit ground and Yami cursed himself over and over again in his mind, backing up instinctively, knowing he was trapped.  
  
He had been distracted. He should’ve kept running.

“Ready the sedative,” Yami heard a man’s voice behind him, and he stopped backing up and stood still. Sedative?!

If he moved any which way, it would draw him closer to the men on either side.

Yami curled his hands into fists, staring at the alleyway wall, hating everything. He memorized the way the plaster left odd ridges in the paint, and he wondered if this would be the last of the outside world he would ever see.

This ugly wall, in a dark alleyway.

He felt the men close in on him from his left side first, and Yami kicked out, feeling his foot strike something solid, and he heard an ‘umf!’, but strong arms quickly wrapped around his shoulders, wrists and neck as he could feel different pairs of hands gripping him with extreme force.

Yami opened his mouth to scream, but was quickly silenced as a forearm pressed across is windpipe squeezed the air out of him, and a large sweaty hand covered his nose and mouth as a hoarse voice scratched in his ear. “Scream…and it hurts more…”

Glaring furiously into the dark face hovering above him, Yami kicked out again, hitting the man in the shins and the hand around his mouth loosened but quickly repositioned itself over his eyes. Shit.

A cloth was slipped over his eyes and tightened so much he saw green, and Yami swallowed painfully, struggling for air as he felt the alien arms roll his sleeve up, and his panic rose to a peak.  
No…No! This was the end!  
This was not the end!  
Fight! Kick!

A pair of large arms were wrapped around his thighs, immobilizing him, and Yami flexed his entire body, screaming internally as something stung him the middle of his forearm and made his head spin.

This was the end.

After what seemed like an eternity, Yami felt the arms around his body loosen, and he was thrown over a man’s shoulder.

Still conscious….

Wonderful….

Maybe….

This was the sedative that made your body still but kept your mind active. Horrible.

_“Dial it in to the little lady…tell her we have….”_

Yami struggled to understand, feeling everything fading in and out.  
Everything had been for nothing.  
Lina had died for nothing.  
Seto had not come to save him because Seto had let him go.  
It was all for nothing.  
Death was preferable to this.

 _I understand now…_ Yami thought sadly, feeling his arms swing uselessly beneath him as the man walked.

The man stopped walking and answered his phone again. It was close to his head. He could feel the man’s knuckles brushing against his ear.

There was a silence and Yami could faintly hear a female voice warbling from the man’s phone.

_“…dump him… already have a buyer lined up. Meet me at…”_

_“New location,”_ the man said loudly, and Yami felt himself swing dangerously on the man’s shoulder again, his head spinning. _“And…more sedative.”_

 _Please…no…_ Yami cried miserably, willing his body to move but feeling nothing.

Another arm rolled up his sleeve and there was a long moment before the sting bit him in the middle of his arm.

The darkness engulfed him as Yami swore he would stay awake at all costs.

* * *

Yami came around to the feeling of being lowered onto something soft, and he struggled to awaken, feeling the blindfold digging into the sides of his face.

He opened his mouth to shout, but found that he still couldn't move as much as he wanted to.

Where were his arms and legs?!

 _I can’t feel anything! I can’t feel my body!_ Yami panicked, straining to move but feeling limp and useless. Damn this sedative! More importantly, where was he?! Another country? This was definitely a bed….

Yami froze, hearing shuffling beside him and he held his breath, listening hard. Breathing. He could hear breathing. How many breaths? How many people were in this room right now?

There was a soft click and Yami heard another set of footsteps approach his bed, and a cold finger stabbed into his cheek, the nail digging so hard into his skin, it stung.

S-Seto?!

“Got you…you little rat,” a female voice sang quietly, and her finger tugged at the blindfold. “You’ve been bad, so we’ll leave this on.”

Yami felt his world stop. Oh no….no no no no no no no! Lina’s cursed owner.

“You and I are going to make a lot of money,” she continued, her voice trailing away as she moved towards where Yami assumed the door was. “My men will stand here to watch, just in case you misbehave. Doors and walls are soundproofed. Scream as much as you want. Tonight is your first client. Enjoy!”

 _Client?!_ Yami thought, terrified, and he struggled even harder to see through the blindfold, but to no avail. There wasn’t a speck of light coming through the cloth.  
W-Was this how Lina lived?  
Raped in the darkness by strangers?  
Never seeing a face?  
This was…torture!

Yami could feel a sob threatening to wrench itself from his body and he forced himself to remain calm. There was still a way…there was still a way…r-right?!

A-At least…this was still Japan…right?

Annabelle chuckled to herself and closed the door softly behind her, letting out a quiet shriek as a pale hand came for her face and cold fingers closed over her mouth, muffling her scream.

Kaiba’s face hovered over her in the semi-darkness, his blue eyes unusually dark underneath the hallway lights.

She struggled to smile underneath his tense grip, bringing her hands up and attempting to pry his hand away from her mouth, but it only made him grip her harder.

“Did you get my payment, you snake?” Seto hissed furiously, digging his fingers so deeply into her cheeks, he could feel her teeth.

He gave her a vicious shake, seeing her bat her eyelashes at him and shake her head, still attempting to free herself from his hand muffling her.

“Cherry on top?” Seto continued coldly, watching her tug playfully at his arm and nod. “I paid with your money. More accurately… _Daddy’s_ money. That’s called embezzling.”

Seto watched her eyes widen and he let her go, seeing her press a hand to her chest, glaring at him viciously.

“I could say the transaction was a mistake,” she shot back, composing herself instantly and tossing a curl of hair over her shoulder. “And send it back. No big deal.”

“Good luck explaining that large of an amount,” Seto sneered, leaning against the hotel door, his heart pounding with relief. “And it doesn’t end there. Better run home now to make it right. Wait and see, you conniving bitch.”

She stared at him for a long moment before turning on her heel and marching off down the hallway with her nose in the air.

Seto watched her go, still feeling the rage coursing through his veins. He would pay, again, to see the officers drag her out of her home in handcuffs, but he could do that later. Right now…Yami.

He leaned the door open quietly, almost thankful that she had the indecency to book the entire building for this crime, and he kicked the door shut behind him, seeing Yami’s limp form on the bed.

He saw Yami’s slender legs tense visibly.

Frightened? Good.

Seto made eye contact with Annabelle’s guards and pointed at the door, glaring.  
Get the fuck out.

“We were instructed to stay, regardless of your status,” one of the guards said solemnly, keeping his feet planted firmly apart.

Yami could feel his heart racing a thousand beats per minute. S-status?! A high-ranking official? A politician? Disgusting!

Seto raised one hand with his palm facing forward, and then he curled his fingers into a fist. Fight me then, bitch.

“Y-You may hit him…” the guard said anxiously, misunderstanding completely. “Whatever you do to him here is confidential to the highest degree—”

 _H-He wants to hit me?!_ Yami thought, terrified. He grit his teeth, straining to move his arms and legs as the feeling slowly began to return. Escape. Escape. Escape. Everyone was speaking in Japanese, which meant he was still in Japan! Escape!

Seto lost his patience and struck out at the guard, kicking him roughly in the groin and punching the second guard beside him in the face, watching with vicious pleasure as both men doubled over onto the carpeted floors, moaning.

The remaining two guards yelped and backed away, watching their co-workers attempt to stand, gasping for air.

Seto pointed at the door again, and gave the guards the middle finger, refusing to speak, knowing that Yami would recognize his voice immediately if he did so.

Yami tried to wiggle his fingers and toes desperately as panic engulfed him fully.  
This person was definitely a man, and he was…violent!

 _Please…God! Let me move!_ Yami prayed as he used all of his strength to sit up, but he realized his arms were immobilized above him. _I’m tied to the bed!_

Horrified, Yami struggled harder, and he could hear the guards shuffling out the door.

Seto kicked the door shut after them, still seething as he spotted a bright yellow backpack at the foot of the bed. Beside it sat a neat coil of rope, a small switchblade, lube, and a condom.

That bitch…had it all prepared.

He grabbed the lube and tossed it onto the bed, seeing Yami flinch as it landed near his feet. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Seto reached for the backpack, wondering what the hell was in it.

He unzipped it and emptied the contents messily onto the floor, spying a pair of his own pants in the mix of clothes.

Oh…this was Yami’s shit.

And there was a pair of underpants he had never seen before.

Yami could hear the man rustling through his things, he took a deep breath, mustering up the courage to speak, wondering if he could barter with the man. “What do you want? If you return me to my rightful owner, he will pay you! More than what you paid just now! Wouldn’t you like that?!”

Seto grit his teeth so hard, he felt his eyes water. He held the underpants up and stared at them, wondering who the fuck they belonged to, and why it was in Yami’s pack.  
  
Was it someone Yami had fucked while he was out adventuring around Domino and the greater Tokyo area?

Was this other man’s underwear supposed to commemorate the first time he had lost his virginity…to a fucking stranger?!

“Or maybe…” Yami continued desperately, twisting his hands in his restraints, feeling the rope burn into his skin, hearing the man go quiet, “You’d rather have a woman? Yes? My owner can get you a pretty woman…the prettiest…prettier than me!”

Was that a good offer or a bad offer? Why wasn’t the man answering?!

“Do you have a woman at home? She’s ugly, isn’t she? Always asking you to do things for her?” Yami asked blindly, attempting to sound conversational. “I’m not much better.”

Maybe this man wanted to talk with someone…! Maybe it was too much to hope that this man was a little bit like Seto…in need of a friend!

Footsteps approached the edge of the bed and Yami leaned away from the sound, feeling the man tugging at his shirt, and he heard fabric ripping softly. W-Wait…no…! This man was using a knife…to cut…t-to cut…

“I have a disease! I’m not clean! Whatever she told you about me is a lie!” Yami cried frantically as he felt the cold blade of a knife grazing across his skin.  
This man was cutting off his clothes!  
This man was cutting off his clothes!  
Violent and armed with a knife…this was bad! Very bad!

Seto paused in his motions.

Yami’s shirt fell away from his fingertips as his heart stopped solidly in his chest with fear.

No…

Lies.

Lies!

In a rush of fury, Seto pressed the edge of the knife to Yami’s cheek, forgetting himself for a moment as he hissed, “Slut.”

“Believe what you want, but only I know the truth!” Yami cried, his chest tight with a mixture of triumph and fear as he realized he had stalled successfully.

He could feel everything now that the sedative had worn off, and he had gotten the man to speak…even if it was only one word, and an insult at that.

The edge of the knife dug into his cheek and Yami felt the bed sink down around him as the man climbed up on it, and he decided to lie still, continuing to bargain whatever he had that wasn’t his hole.

This man was violent. Did he want a good fight?

“Kill me then! You want to hit me? Hit me until I die! Kill me, go ahead! I want to die!” Yami cried, twisting against his restraints, thinking the first thing he would do if he got free was to kill this man and go straight back to Seto.

Death was better than having his hole dirtied by a stranger who wasn’t Seto. Death was relief. Lina had been right all along.

Seto blinked rapidly, his anger slipping away as he realized Yami was doing everything he could…to delay…being raped. Lying, bargaining…making small talk.

“Cut my restraints and I’ll give you a good wrestle,” Yami lied cleverly, giving his elbows a weak shake. “I fight fair!”

There was a long silence and the man resumed cutting at his clothes, and before long, his shirt had been removed and ghostly hands quickly undid the top button of his pants.

No…no! Anything but that!

“W-Wait! Wait! Wait!” Yami cried, raising his knees to his chest and attempting to roll over onto his side, his heart pounding painfully in his chest as panic threatened to overwhelm him. Anything to get away! Anything…!

Seto sat back on his heels, biting back a wry laugh as Yami twisted away from him awkwardly.

Okay, this was interesting and fun.

Yami definitely deserved this…for leaving him.  
For making him cry, and worry.  
For making Mokuba cry and worry.  
For touching that waiter on the ship.  
For staying with the gay professor for two nights.  
For flirting with every human in sight on that godforsaken ship.  
For leaving him in the dark for three fucking days.

This was what he deserved; to be trussed up like the present he was supposed to be on the day he first arrived, kicking, screaming, begging, and crying to keep his virginity.

Yami held his breath and realized that the man was indeed waiting for him to speak.

Ah…then…if he never spoke…then, maybe the man would never touch him!

There was a long silence, and Seto waited for Yami to say something.

Yami said nothing, and he gave Yami’s ass a firm grope, feeling Yami tense and squirm, crying out again, “Wait!”

Seto paused obediently, running his tongue along the underside of his teeth, again, waiting for Yami to speak, but Yami remained quiet, and there was another long bout of silence.

Seto lost his patience as he realized he was being played.

Yami was fucking clever as shit.

He tossed the knife aside and grabbed Yami by the ankles, prying his legs apart as Yami began to kick and fight him in earnest.

“No! P-Please! I’m not clean! My owner…he has money, I can prove it! He’s richer than you! He is!”

 _And how the fuck would you know that?_ Seto thought darkly, leaning down heavily onto Yami’s legs and unzipping his fly, biting back a satisfied smirk as Yami’s underwear peeked out from underneath the zipper.

“Hey…hey, while you’re there, you can check my pockets. It’s real, I swear!” Yami said desperately, feeling the man pat his pockets roughly and turn them inside out.

Seto gazed down at his own metal pin in his hand, feeling another wave of relief wash over him. Good…thank god Yami wasn’t keeping this in his backpack…because if he had lost the pack with the pin still inside it…there would really be another man here, cutting off his clothes. Lucky shit.

“You see?” Yami said encouragingly, craning his blindfolded head towards him. “Do you recognize that? You’d be a blind idiot not to. So…return me there! He will pay…any amount you ask!”

 _Fuck you, for knowing that I would do that for you,_ Seto growled internally as he brought his hand down heavily on Yami’s knee, pushing his leg down onto the mattress and earning a fresh bout of struggling.

“You don’t like him, I know!” Yami continued frantically, his heart thudding painfully in his chest as cold fear gripped his entire being. The man was not stopping! “He’s not a likeable person at all! But he has more money than you!”

So close…s-so …so close! That man had actually considered it, right?!

Seto blinked, feeling his rage return tenfold at Yami’s words, and he jerked the pants off of Yami with great force, moving to sit on Yami’s upper body as he struggled to peel the pants off from around Yami’s thrashing legs, hearing him let out a hoarse yell from beneath him.

 _Not a likeable person, huh?_ Seto thought furiously as he reached for the knife to cut the rest of the pant leg off. _Not a fucking…likeable person huh?!_

Tossing the shreds of Yami’s pants aside, Seto turned himself to face Yami, straddling him tightly, glaring down at him and resisting every urge to yell insults at him.

He spied the ring still sitting on Yami’s finger, and he grabbed at it, attempting to pry it off from Yami’s hand.

Yami grit his teeth and used all of his might to keep his fist tightly closed. No! Anything but the ring! The man saw the ring after mentions of money…and Seto! That was a bad idea! This ring was the only thing left that would ever remind him of Seto while endless clients like this man dirtied him!

“P-Please don’t take that…y-you can have anything else!” Yami shouted hoarsely, feeling his throat burn. The weight of the man sitting on top of him was crushing…but at least…the man wasn’t sweaty…and he was still clothed…there was hope! There was hope!

 _I can have ‘anything’? Really?_ Seto thought evilly, releasing Yami’s hand and watching him go limp. He dragged his hand down Yami’s chest, feeling Yami tense mightily.

He slid lower down and inched Yami’s underwear down to his thighs, pleased to see that Yami was no longer struggling.

Seto pulled them off completely and tossed them aside, annoyed to see that Yami was flaccid. He gave Yami’s a penis a rough grab, feeling a rush of satisfaction as Yami’s balls melted in the palm of his hand. Heavenly.

Yami flexed and strained against the rope, biting back tears of frustration as his arms began to grow sore and numb over his head. Fine.

The man could touch him there. Men liked the front.

As long as the back stayed clean…f-for Seto…!

Irritated that Yami was now being quiet and complacent, Seto eased off of Yami’s body and grabbed his ankles with one hand, lifting his legs high in the air, earning him a startled gasp.

Smiling to himself, Seto stared at Yami’s asshole, watching it clench and unclench deliciously before his eyes. Mine.

He thoughtlessly pressed his finger into Yami’s hole, biting his tongue as he felt a wonderful heat swallow him and travel through his entire body.

Blindly patting the mattress for the lube, Seto uncapped it and heartlessly poured a generous amount all over the backs of Yami’s thighs, hearing him let out a strained cry as he attempted to squirm away again, but Seto kept his grip steady on Yami’s legs.

Yami blinked rapidly against the blindfold, hating the darkness as he realized this man was cruel. The stranger had touched his hole! All hope was lost!  
This man was going to do it slowly, making sure he felt everything.  
It wasn’t going to be quick.  
He needed to talk more!  
The more he talked, the slower the man moved!

“You don’t want my hole,” Yami said, trying to sound confident, but he could hear his voice shaking. “You want money instead. You could have three of me. All at once! That’s how much money he could give you!”

 _Three of you? No fucking thanks!_ Seto thought deliriously, lowering Yami’s legs and reaching towards his hands again, this time managing to get a firm grip on the ring around Yami’s finger. He gave it a vicious tug, feeling it slip down his finger before Yami closed his fist frantically and kicked out at him, his heel catching him solidly in the chest.

Seto fought back silently and managed to sit on top of Yami once more, panting, feeling his resolve slipping as he stared down at Yami’s parted lips, seeing the edge of the blindfold darken as it became stained with tears. He stopped, holding his breath, watching Yami take deep, shuddering breaths, attempting to repress his sobs.

“Please don’t take the ring…let me keep it,” Yami whispered, feeling himself tremble all over, and the heat from the stranger’s thighs were burning his entire body. Whatever!  
Damn it all!  
This stranger could dirty him all night…but if he lost the ring…he would lose his only connection to Seto!

Seto paused, feeling conflicted as he watched the blindfold darken further as Yami continued to cry in earnest. Was this an act or was it real?

“I will do…whatever you want,” Yami begged frantically, feeling hysteria enveloping him alarmingly fast, and he struggled to talk through his gasping breaths. “Just don’t… take the ring. It reminds me...of my owner.”

 _Owner?! Is that still my name?_ Seto thought horrified, feeling bile rise up his throat, and he grazed his knuckle spitefully across the rim of Yami’s asshole, feeling Yami clench and hearing him shout frantically.

“I’ll…suck your dick…really well! I’m good! Really good! I know things…even women don’t know! I can teach you some tricks!”

There. Those were the magic words he had learned from the nameless boy eons ago. Would they save him now while a stranger’s finger was hovering near his clean hole?!

It meant he would have to suck a stranger’s dick…but it was better than being dirtied!

Unamused, Seto leaned away from Yami and frowned, thinking that this wasn’t funny anymore.

“Or we make a promise!” Yami barreled on, his heart racing as he felt the man’s hand disappear away from his ass. Was it working?!

“You’re a man of honor, aren’t you? You let me have the knife…after you finish having fun with me! You let me have it, before that foul woman comes back! I’ll die quickly and I won’t cause you any more trouble…! So let’s have a good sex, before I die!”

Lina’s words were also magic, because the man leaned away completely.

Seto felt a gigantic lump rise and stick in his throat, making it difficult to swallow or breathe. This was _definitely_ no longer fun…or funny.

Yami felt the man hover over him for a moment before the blindfold was ripped away from his face so quickly, the cloth burned the backs of his ears, and Seto’s face appeared above him, his handsome features twisted into an ugly scowl.

“Say all of that again to my fucking face,” Seto hissed, gripping the wet blindfold tightly, with half the mind to press it back over Yami’s eyes as anger and jealousy consumed him in a sudden rush.

Where the hell did Yami learn how to say shit like that?!

Yami blinked incredulously, his heart swelling with joy and relief as he gazed up into Seto’s face, memorizing the way his brown bangs fell away from his face, unable to tell if it was real or if he was hallucinating.

“Oh…hi,” Yami said bravely, managing a weak smile, suddenly realizing that it really didn’t matter where he was being held, or whose bed he was tied to.

What mattered was that Seto was the one glaring angrily above him, not some fat ugly stranger, and the sight couldn't make Yami happier.

“‘ _Oh hi?!_ ’” Seto seethed, dragging his hand down the back of Yami’s bare leg, feeling the lube gather sticky between his fingertips, and he shoved his finger deep into Yami’s tight hole, thrusting and twisting his finger mercilessly inside of him, watching as Yami threw his head back ecstatically, his chest heaving with emotion.

Yami relaxed alarmingly fast beneath him and Seto’s chest tightened nervously as Yami’s gaze turned soft and adoring.

“Yes, hi...!” Yami said eagerly, no longer able to form coherent sentences as only one thought consumed his mind. Seto. Seto inside him. Now…now…now!

Yami struggled to get comfortable for a moment, letting his thighs fall open invitingly, bucking his hips upwards enticingly for good measure, feeling Seto’s hand leave his ass too quickly.

“I’m…clean,” Yami said lamely. He saw Seto’s face darken and his cheek stung as he was slapped once across the face.

Biting his lip and feeling his eyes water, Yami strained his neck upwards imploringly, gazing up into Seto’s clear blue eyes, feeling his tears dripping past the shell of his ear. Seto was angry.  
Seto didn’t want him back?  
Seto had believed all the lies he had told earlier?!

“What’s my name?” Seto hissed, flexing his fingers as they throbbed from the pain of the slap. Shit…maybe he had hit too hard, but if Yami called him ‘owner’ one more damn time…!

“Do you think I’ve forgotten you?” Yami shot back angrily, flexing his legs strongly as he strained against the rope chafing into his wrists. Please…please…touch…!

“Whose underwear was in your fucking bag? Why did Yugi smell like you?” Seto growled angrily, feeling close to losing his shit as Yami blinked prettily up at him, looking confused.

What’s more, Yami was now magically erect, and his dick was twitching excitedly while a slick sheen shone wetly on his slit.

“Whose underwear?” Yami echoed, frowning, wondering if Seto was joking with him. Didn’t matter. “Please touch me.”

Ah…were the shorts he took from the professor’s house…his underwear?  
Well, bad mistake.

Seto blinked, staring down at Yami, naked and tied up beneath him, shaking with every breath he took, his tanned chest rising and falling with anticipation, his angular violet eyes begging him…begging….

“You didn’t fuck Yugi? And don’t you dare lie.” Seto said hollowly, feeling a strange fire burning inside his chest. He needed…confirmation.

If Yami didn’t fuck Yugi…the professor was the only suspect.

The professor was about to wet himself from fear, so the chances of him lying about fucking Yami were slim….

“I didn’t!” Yami cried, twisting his body every which way, attempting to wrap his legs around Seto’s waist, but his legs were held still as his owner pressed his palms down on his knees, restraining him. “I lied earlier! You’d be a fool to believe me!”

Yami blinked imploringly, watching Seto stare at his dick for a long time before easing off the bed and walking away.

“No…!” Yami gasped, giving the rope a tug so strong, it rattled the headboard. “Please...come back! Punish me! I won’t do it again! Put it in my hole as much as you want!”

The bed sank down around him again and Seto grinned evilly above him, causing Yami’s heart to skip a beat. Wh-What?!

His owner was holding up an odd plastic object, and a cold, wet liquid splashed down all around his groin, seeping in between his thighs and soaking into the mattress beneath him.

Yami craned his neck, attempting to see down his own body but to no avail. The rope was keeping him solidly horizontal.

More lube? Fine! Whatever was fine! Everything was fine!

“Hold still, or you’ll bleed,” Seto said gleefully, pressing a hand down on Yami’s thigh as he positioned the razor above Yami’s thin pubic hairs and began dragging it down gently, scraping away the hair carefully, row by row, feeling Yami tense and shudder beneath him.

Yami tried to calm his pounding heart as he realized…Seto was shaving him!  
H-How embarrassing! Every scrape of the razor brushing along his skin sent a heated shudder tingling up his body.

“Why-Why…are you doing that? You don’t like hair there?” Yami asked shakily, feeling himself sweat. This was oddly controlling behavior coming from his usually kind Seto!

“Shut up,” Seto answered plainly, grabbing the towel he had brought over and wiping Yami clean, pleased with his handiwork.

The skin above Yami’s dick was now slick and beautiful. Seto brushed his knuckles over the area, feeling Yami buck his hips so much, his dick hit the base of his hand, and he hissed, pressing his hips down forcefully into the mattress.

“You don’t move until I say so, you don’t say shit, until I say so,” Seto said mechanically, feeling as if something had possessed him.  
Yami was his.  
Fully his, at last.  
He could…do…whatever the fuck he wanted.  
This person…Yami, belonged to him…completely.

“Yes…” Yami whispered happily, and his cheek stung with another slap. He bit his lower lip, his eyes watering. W-What?!

“I said…you don’t speak, unless I say so,” Seto intoned as he mercilessly grabbed Yami’s cock and gave him a few careless pumps, gathering the foreskin at his fingertips, rolling it teasingly over the head of his dick, feeling the wetness gather wonderfully at his fingertips, watching as Yami shut his eyes and grew very still beneath him.

“Open your eyes,” Seto commanded, biting his tongue to keep from laughing as he watched Yami struggle to look at him hazily. “Eyes on me, or I shave your head.”

Yami blinked rapidly and nodded, no longer able feel anything other than the wonderful sensations of Seto’s fingers slowly rubbing his tip through his foreskin. Torture…glorious torture.  
His arms had gone numb, and the place where the ropes sat no longer hurt.

When would Seto enter him? Please...please please please…now, now, before anyone else in the world did…! He could be bald, or half-dead, it didn’t matter!

Suddenly, Seto was on top of him, and his dick slid intrusively past his lips and into his mouth, and Seto’s pants were audible above him as his shaft was shoved repeatedly over his tongue, hitting the roof of his mouth and sometimes sliding deeper down into the back of his throat, choking him, but there was no time to recover or even breathe. Yami’s quiet pants filled the room, and the sound alone almost made him cum.

Seto’s thighs pressed tightly around his ears and Yami could feel his owner’s balls pushing wonderfully against his chin as his dick slipped in and out of his mouth, rubbing his lips raw over the edges of his own teeth as a wonderful, musky scent floated around him. This scent…he had missed it so much!

“I said…eyes…open,” Seto managed to speak between the waves of pleasure cascading down his body as he relentlessly fucked Yami in the mouth, staring lovingly down at him. Yami was struggling to meet his gaze as his eyelids kept sliding closed with every violent thrust.

His breathing grew shallow, and Seto quickly pulled out, flexing his thighs and forcing himself not to cum too quickly. Without giving Yami a moment to breathe, he lifted one of Yami’s legs and swept his finger across the lube which was still sitting wetly against the backs of his thighs, and he gave Yami’s asshole a firm rub with one finger, feeling the heat clench deliciously.

Seto led the head of his dick to the rim without hesitation and shoved himself deep inside of Yami so forcefully, he heard Yami gasp and felt him tense around the base of his dick so hard it hurt, causing his head to spin with lust.

F-Fuck…Yami’s hole was tight!

Deeply satisfied, Seto eased back and rammed himself forward again, jutting up against Yami’s ass, pleased to see his own dick disappear between a set of tanned ass cheeks, and he gave the flesh a squeeze, enjoying himself immensely, watching Yami’s dick quiver erotically beneath him with every thrust.

Having his way with a virgin…without a fucking care in the world…best feeling ever. Knowing that Yami wouldn’t hate him for it after…also a nice feeling.

He pulled out all the way and draped Yami’s trembling legs over his shoulders, staring incredulously down at his own wet dick, seeing himself shake tremendously as he thrust into Yami again, drinking in the way Yami was shivering sensually beneath him, his chin tucked to his chest, obediently gazing lustfully at him through half-lidded eyes.

Yami let out a soft cry, his voice catching in his throat as his shoulders threatened to pop out of their sockets from the restraints and from the force of being entered repeatedly.

Pain. It hurt everywhere, but it didn’t matter.

There was a hot and cold shock every time Seto slid in and out of him, and it didn’t feel good at all. Too thick…too hot…too much everything, but that didn’t matter either.

“My…arms…hurt!” Yami panted, knowing he was going earn a slap for speaking without permission, but to his surprise, Seto leaned over him quietly, his dick sliding higher inside him as he hastily began undoing the knot by his wrists.

The pressure around his shoulders finally eased up, and Yami let out a gasp of relief, hugging his arms to his chest as the blood came rushing back to his fingertips, and Seto showed no mercy, no signs of stopping, still pounding relentlessly into Yami as a tight, wonderful feeling began building at the base of his stomach.  
He was going to cum…! Too soon!

Yami gripped his raw, throbbing wrists while vicious thrusts rocked his slender frame, and he could feel himself going numb as he realized he had probably lost the gentle side of Seto…forever.

He had been a fool to think that being dirtied would ever feel good.  
Being touched in the front was a lie.  
Being licked in the front was a lie, because once a dick entered from the back, the pain was unbearable.

Yami felt himself being rolled over onto his side, and he instinctively drew his knees up to his chest. Seto’s breathing had become ragged and sharp, and it was terrifying to hear.

His body had grown numb, and Seto’s hands were rough, pressing him down onto the mattress, grabbing at every inch of his skin, sometimes pinching his nipples so hard it hurt, and other times, his nails dragged down along the sides of his thighs.

Seto pulled out slowly and a wet rush of hot liquid spilled down the curves of his ass, and Yami swallowed the tight lump in his throat. His owner had released his fluids…on his ass…and not inside.

Yami shut his eyes, bracing himself for another slap, knowing he was breaking another rule, but instead of pain stinging his cheek, a gentle hand brushed the hair away from his face, and a warm breath panned down his ear.

“Tell me when it feels good,” Seto said hoarsely, feeling slightly guilty as he forced himself to grow still, and he nudged the head of his penis flush up against Yami’s rim, feeling Yami shudder and clench tightly, bracing himself to be penetrated.

“Answer me, dammit,” Seto hissed, pushing the head of his dick carefully in through Yami’s rim, feeling the heat swallow him thickly, and he gazed down at Yami, seeing him flinch.

Yami nodded slowly and felt a low thrum of pain shoot up through his core as his owner eased into him slowly…too slowly. It hurt more when it was slow. It was better fast.

“It…hurts,” Yami managed through clenched teeth, feeling Seto’s cold hand brushing the hair out of his eyes, and warm lips came down over his, kissing him roughly.

Breathless, Yami blinked rapidly and stared up at the ceiling, trying not to feel the despair closing in around him. Why did this feel so bad?!

Seto grit his teeth and sat back on his heels, waiting patiently, feeling Yami tensing and relaxing underneath him slowly, seeing him gazing upwards, clearly thinking about something else.

“Hey, look at me,” Seto snapped, rising to his knees giving his dick an excited twitch inside of Yami, and seeing the adam’s apple in Yami’s throat jump as he swallowed nervously.

“I’m…l-looking,” Yami whispered as Seto’s face swam before his vision, and his body felt as if it was on fire. This was terrible. This was terrible. Would being entered feel like this all the time?!

He glanced down and saw Seto’s hand moving up and down along his shaft, and he tensed, feeling the low thrum of pain melt into a warm, thudding heat every time his owner brought his hand heavily down to the base of his cock.

W-Wait…this felt good…!

Yami squirmed uncomfortably, feeling the sheets stick to his back with sweat as he stretched his legs out and wiggled his toes, feeling Seto shift inside him, stretching him, filling him warmly, and that feeling combined with the hand gripping his dick was a wonderful feeling.

Struggling to keep his face neutral, Yami furrowed his brow and clenched himself tightly, feeling Seto flex and tense in response. Ah…oh…could Seto feel that…?!

Seto smirked, seeing Yami’s expression morph from uncertainty to one of wanton lust, and Yami’s head spun as Seto pulled out cautiously and entered him in one swift motion.

A wondrous, thick heat filled his entire body, sending shivers running up and down his spine as Yami let his breath out in a slow hiss, lifting his head to gaze into Seto’s eyes.

Seto eased Yami onto his side once more, grabbing one of Yami’s thighs and pushing his leg high up over his head, deeply pleased to discover that Yami was quite flexible, and the sight excited him to no end.

“It feels…good,” Yami breathed, feeling the backs of his legs stretch. His tongue swelled in his mouth as he ached for a kiss, and it seemed that Seto could read his mind, because he leaned down suddenly and his mouth was moving passionately against his, his tongue sliding warmly over his lips, his hands pressing his body deeper into the mattress as steady, heated motions rocked their bodies, and Yami felt like he was sinking and flying at the same time.

Now it felt good!

Every time Seto entered him, the searing heat filled him to the core and Yami wished it would never end.

He rolled back over onto his back, panting excitedly, locking his arms around Seto’s neck and wrapping his legs high around Seto’s waist, feeling as if he had successfully conquered the world as Seto’s light breaths grazed his ear, sending wonderful, heated jolts of pleasure running through his body.

“It…f-feels…g-good!” Yami gasped, feeling teeth bite down on his neck as Seto sucked and licked at the sensitive skin, and a dark, curling sensation began building deep in his stomach. Cum!

He held his breath and clung onto Seto tighter, waiting for the explosive pleasure to engulf his body but suddenly, there was a sharp pause as Seto stilled above him completely, causing Yami to panic.

W-Why did Seto stop?!

Leaning away slightly, Yami gazed up into Seto’s face, panting lightly, struggling to keep his eyes open as a hot, wet sensation began gushing up inside him, and Yami let out a strangled cry, trembling violently as the liquid leaked out around his asshole and pooled wetly around his lower back.

C-Cum! Too much cum!

Yami let Seto pry his arms off from around his neck and he caught Seto smiling evilly down at him as the hot wetness continued to pulse inside of him and leak out slowly, soaking into the mattress around him.

A bold stench invaded his nostrils and Yami realized with a trickling horror that it wasn’t cum at all.

U-Urine?!

Yami patted the mattress tentatively, feeling the warm liquid streak underneath his fingertips and his entire body burned with a strange fire.

“Mine,” Seto grinned boyishly, giving Yami a few more thrusts, hearing his thighs slapping against Yami’s ass, and he relished in the sound. Lewd. Wet.

Yami had constantly said he wanted to be “dirtied” so fucking much, well…now, he had better be happy with what he had asked for.

Speechless, Yami found himself flipped over onto all fours, and he collapsed onto his elbows, staring down at the yellow patch he had just been lying on, and his heart stuck in his throat. H-How dirty!

His head spun wildly as Seto’s cold hands gripped him around his waist and began pounding into him relentlessly, and Yami could barely hear Seto speaking through the wonderful humming in his mind as solid jolts of hot pleasure threaded through his body with every thrust of Seto’s dick inside him.

“Owner, huh?” Seto panted breathlessly, seeing spots dotting the corners of his vision as he could feel an orgasm building deep in his chest, and he tried to stave it off by slowing his pace, gazing happily down at his dick sitting tightly wedged inside Yami’s ass.

God damn…how hard did he work for this moment?

If Yami wanted to continue calling him ‘owner’ instead of ‘Seto’, then Yami’s rightful name would be ‘pet’.

“Y-Ye-…sss,” Yami shut his eyes tightly and opened them again, gathering the sheets in his arms in a frenzy, writhing happily as Seto’s warmth was overwhelming. Never stop…never stop….!

Sometimes, Seto would thrust into him swiftly all the way up to the hilt, and other times, he would take his sweet time, pulling out slowly and teasingly thudding the head of his dick against his rim…and the feeling made his stomach clench so hard, he saw stars.

“Good,” Seto said triumphantly, thinking if Yami wanted to live by his rules so badly, he would now establish new house rules. He could see the slick wetness shining across Yami’s slender back and he smiled to himself, reaching forward and giving Yami a few long strokes, enjoying the way Yami’s hand came down over his as his body was assaulted with wave after wave of pleasure as his orgasm consumed him.

Yami opened his mouth to let out a cry, but nothing came out as his body shook with fierce pulses of a feeling so intense, it made his mind go blank and he felt like he was floating for a long moment before he came crashing down to melt in the burning heat that was Seto’s embrace.

Seto grit his teeth and timed his thrusts easily with each rise and fall of Yami’s chest, staring intently down at the way his nipples shone under the low lights, raking his gaze across Yami’s lewd expression, and he let himself cum in one intense heave, feeling the room spin wonderfully as his vision went white and Yami’s smiling face swam in and out of focus as he gasped for breath, his heart thudding loudly in his ears as warm hands came up around the sides of his face and gently brushed the hair away from his forehead.

His arms shaking with effort, Seto stiffened and rocked his hips downwards threateningly, earning a sharp gasp and a glare from Yami as he squirmed delightfully and let out a tired laugh. His tanned skin was slick with sweat and he seemed to glow….

Yami flexed his legs and clenched anxiously, still feeling Seto’s semen pooling between his ass cheeks, and he blinked questioningly up at his owner, wondering why he was staying in this position. M-More urine?! Impossible...right?!

“What’s my name?” Seto asked spitefully, shoving himself up deeper inside Yami, grimacing as he felt his semen pressing wetly into his own thighs.

“S-Seto!” Yami answered, his eyes wild as he wondered if his owner had gone crazy.

“No, it’s “owner”,” Seto said wickedly, leaning down and pressing his lips tightly across Yami’s forehead, feeling Yami tense beneath him. “That’s what you call me, right?”

“N-No!” Yami protested, watching Seto slowly ease out of him and sit back on his heels, grinning handsomely at him.

His sculpted abdomen was wet with their combined fluids and Yami bit his tongue so hard, his eyes watered. Just the sight made him want to touch Seto again.

“Yes,” Seto responded viciously, tackling Yami down onto the bed and feeling his head spin wonderfully as Yami let out a strangled laugh as they rolled away from the enormous wet patch they had made on the bed.

“F-Funny joke,” Yami said weakly, feeling his ass throb and ache strangely. Being filled was a nice feeling. His owner had not been gentle, but that didn’t matter.

“I’m serious,” Seto said earnestly, pressing a hand to his forehead as he could feel a headache coming on. “I’ve been a bad owner. And you’ve been a bad pet. We’ll try again.”

Yami felt his heart stop in his chest and his head swam with a mixture of confusion and fear. Wh-What?! What was happening?!

“New rules,” Seto mumbled, draping his arm over Yami’s chest and biting back the laugh that was climbing up his throat. “And if you take that ring off, I’ll kill you. Don’t think I won’t.”

“I won’t ever take it off!” Yami cried frantically, holding his hand above his head, gazing at the silver band, his heart pounding too fast in his chest as he tried to calm himself down. “How did you find me without the bracelets?”

Seto shut his eyes and nuzzled his face into the soft curves of Yami’s ear, wrinkling his nose at the odd scent of urine mixed with their semen lingering in the air.

“I had a chip inserted underneath your skin while you were sleeping,” Seto lied easily, feeling Yami tense so stiffly beneath him, it suddenly felt as if he was hugging a rock.

“I…s-see,” Yami replied meekly, feeling faint. Where on his body?! And when had Seto done that?!

Seto cracked open an eyelid and smirked as he caught a frightened look flitting across Yami’s face, and he gave Yami’s shoulder a quick pat and pointed towards the bathroom.

“Wash up, and then we go home,” Seto said with his face buried in the pillow. He didn’t want to move. Yami’s body was warm…and he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in days.

Yami nodded and sat up slowly, feeling his asshole ache and sting. He carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed and planted his feet down onto the carpet, standing shakily, throwing a glance behind him, slightly shocked to see that Seto had fallen asleep.

Smiling softly to himself, Yami made his way into the bathroom and shut the door quietly, wondering if he ought to feel happy.

* * *

Mokuba stood anxiously by the windows, watching for the car, waiting for it to pull into the driveway. Finally, the headlights of a black limousine approached the black gates, and he sprinted down the grand staircase and out the front doors, jumping excitedly and waving his arms.

Yami brightened and waved at Mokuba energetically through the window, catching Seto’s scowl in the reflection and he instantly sobered up.  
  
Seto was still angry with him. There had been a round of rough lovemaking before they had left the deserted hotel in the morning, and they had boarded a helicopter, which landed in a parking lot, and they had spent hours in the car before finally returning to the mansion.

It was only then that Yami realized how far he had managed to run.

Mokuba pried the door open and threw himself into the seat beside Yami, hugging him tightly, holding his breath as the odd scent of hotel soaps drifted up around him.

“Did you do it?!” Mokuba asked brightly, grabbing Yami’s hands excitedly, and Seto snapped his head up, his heart stopping in his chest. What…the fuck?!

“Do what, Mokuba?” Yami spoke lightly, feeling himself sweat as he wondered if this child really knew what sex was, because it was only yesterday that he had discovered for himself…and it was a terrifying concept.

“Get married, you dummies,” Mokuba cried, exasperated, and Yami could feel Seto relax visibly beside him.

They climbed out of the car and Yami tried not to react as several men in dark suits hovered around them as they walked up the steps of the mansion.

“Why…?” Yami asked quietly, Mokuba gripping his wrist with his tiny hand, dragging him into the house and slamming the door shut behind them before speaking.

“So much happened while you were away!” Mokuba said in a rush, his eyes darting towards Seto, who had his head lowered, diligently taking of his shoes with a strange aura emanating from him.

“Mokuba, go to your room,” Seto said coldly, and Mokuba fell silent and nodded, walking away quickly and Yami watched him go, feeling strange. The atmosphere in the house…was different somehow.

And Mokuba did not head up the stairs the way he usually did. Instead, he marched towards the hallway of the study and disappeared.

“Master Kaiba,” Isono appeared on Yami’s left, and Yami jumped, taking a step back so suddenly, he bumped into his owner. “Welcome back.”  
  
Yami patted his chest nervously, his heart leaping as he felt oddly happy to see this manservant.

“Good,” Kaiba sniffed, and he grabbed Yami by the wrist, forcefully leading him up the stairs, hearing him stammer questions behind him.

“Why is Mokuba not staying in the upstairs…?” Yami asked nervously, seeing the door that was Mokuba’s room wide open.

It had been converted into a room with screens and desks.

Seto dragged Yami into his room and shut the door quickly, striding over to grab the golden bracelets off from the edge of the bed.

Yami stood very still in the middle of the room, wondering why there had been a change of furniture.

This room now only had a bed. No desk, no screen, no couch, and even the closets had somehow been removed. And the curtains were drawn shut, even though it was sunny outside.

“This is your room now,” Seto said quietly, striding towards Yami and grabbing his hand, tightly forcing one bracelet onto his wrist. “The biggest…room in the fucking…house, is yours. Stay still!”

Yami stayed still and blinked nervously, his skin burning as he wondered if he could sit down. His backside ached from all the sex!

“This is where you will live,” Seto said fiercely, pointing at the large king bed, and he slid his hand into the nightstand threateningly. “There’s a chain in here, and if you misbehave, I chain you to the fucking bed.”

Yami paled and glanced around nervously, wondering if Seto was joking with him. Wait…wait…!

“I come in whenever I want, and I leave whenever I want,” Seto continued viciously, folding his arms across his chest, thinking that this was the best way to deal with Yami until he got his citizenship. “Even when you’re asleep, you spread for me.”

Blinking rapidly, Yami felt his knees grow weak and his ears began to ring. Wait…wait…why?!

“You don’t get to leave this room, ever,” Seto smirked, seeing Yami sway on the spot and frown at him. “Isono brings your meals. Cooking isn’t a requirement I need from you.”

“We sleep together, every night,” he continued, seeing Yami sit on the floor and cross his legs, staring up at him incredulously. “Don’t try to jump out the window, because the glass is unbreakable.”

“Now, say you understand,” Seto said happily, seeing Yami gazing off at something in the distance with an odd look on his face. “Speak. I know you can understand me.”

“I don’t understand!” Yami cried, staring down at the bracelets on his arms, wondering why Seto had put one on each arm.

What, where these supposed to be like…golden handcuffs?

“Take those off, and I’ll kill you,” Seto threatened emptily, gazing down at the bracelets on Yami’s arms. “You asked for them, so you wear them. You don’t have the right to refuse anything I buy for you.”

“W-What?!” Yami blinked, feeling an odd lump rising in his throat as he realized everything was suddenly backwards. Seto was no longer being kind.

Also, Seto was no longer allowing him to roam the house, or even…cook?!

“Because I’ve been, how do you say it...? A _bad owner_ ,” Seto sneered, watching the color leave Yami’s face, and he planted his feet apart resolutely.

He had resolved to do this, to teach Yami a lesson once and for all.

Maybe after this, “owner” wasn’t a title Yami would be using seriously in his mind anymore. But if Yami was going to behave like a fucking pet, then he would be treated like one.

“You haven’t been a bad owner!” Yami exclaimed, feeling extremely odd at Seto’s sudden cruelty and restrictions. What had happened?! Seto was really angry this time…!

“I have,” Seto said slowly, nodding, feeling oddly light. “Studying is still required of you while I find a way to get you proper documentation. Understand?”

“No…yes,” Yami said desperately, wondering why he was no longer being treated like an equal but more like…a sex slave. “What about chess…and-and…duel monsters?”

“Yeah sure, whatever,” Seto said vaguely, waving carelessly towards Yami as he walked towards the door. “I’ve updated every door. Everything is fingerprint locked, so you can’t pick this lock even if you tried.”

Yami felt his mouth go dry as he watched Seto stand in the doorway, looking cold and dismissive as ever.

“Oh, and, that’s a 360 degree camera,” Seto said plainly as he pointed up at the large black dome sitting ominously in the ceiling. “Say hi to me sometimes, won’t you?”

And he shut the door with a resounding click.

Yami sank down onto the floor, his head spinning with a thousand questions.

Who was that man, and what had he done with the real Seto?!

* * *

**Author’s note:**

**[[Story visualizer]](http://uglifish.tumblr.com/post/177231434914/story-visualizer-eight-sided-shape-more) **

Dear everyone,  
  
This was the end that I had written out since day 1, (because I plan my fics from head to toe before publishing) and if you’ve read my other two fics (Case #001 and Soleil Boulangerie), you know I like to leave things open-ended, but it is my job to listen to you as my reader.

The reaction I got from the first few people who read this was: dissatisfaction, anger, and confusion.  
This is not an ending.  
This needs a continuation.  
This is unacceptable as an ending.  
Ending? More like cliffhanger. (thumbs down)  
Scrap this shit.  
That Kaiba is completely disturbing when he was so sweet at the beginning.

So my response to that is: OK. I hear you.  
  
I will write a continuation. This is not the end.

My reasons for writing Kaiba’s behavior that way was because he felt betrayed, and the way he chooses to cope with his feelings is just with anger, rage, and cruelty. (which I thought was canon? But I could be wrong, and I understand that it’s not very pleasant to read)

I will need a week or so to adjust and think of another ending, because I personally thought that this ending was acceptable, but it clearly was not.

(Again, your feedback is crucial! I’m always listening and open for suggestions)

If you got this far down and I’ve not lost you as a reader, please know that I love and appreciate you!

Thank the heavenly stars for [YLJE](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ylje/pseuds/ylje), my humorous and intelligent editor.  
  
Shoutouts to:  
  
bellemieux, (please marry me, -bends down on one knee-)  
  
**fictional sadist,** (please share a brain with me -cuts my head open-)  
  
**katie peaches** , (please never change and stay wonderfully sweet and cute forever)  
  
**Shamtal** (¡ eres asombrosa y maravillosa! ¡ Gracias por leer mis historias cada vez que posteo!)  
  
**sassykat,** (your talent is amazing, thank you for being my friendo!)  
  
**microraptor glider,** (no words to describe how attracted I am to your hair)  
  
**Egyptian_sapphire_dragon** s, (YOUR SUPER LONG REVIEWS ARE EVERYTHING AAAA)  
  
**darkmissuniverse** (Gracias por llegar a mí en Tumblr a pesar de que sé que no es a menudo hablas en los medios sociales! ¡ es conmovedora! ¡ Estoy emocionado!)  
  
james_oliver, (you are the prettiest boy and ILU -smooshes-)  
  
**firebolt dream,** (your feedback after every chapter helps me sooo much!! hugggle)  
  
**prideful_rose,** (thank you for always asking what happens next! Its so encouraging!)  
  
**hergan** , (hehehehhEHHEHehehhehehehe. You know what im giggling about.)  
  
**allrealelements** , (ILU BBY!!! Thank you for being there for me in my dark times!)  
  
and **Kailyn _mei** (for being my A1 from day one, especially on that discord!) :D

Also, immense love and appreciation to:  
  
**xxxcrimsondreamsxxx,** (for your endless support! I wish I could hug you across countries!)  
  
**helene_of_flowers,** (for your amazing and lengthy reviews! I cannooootttt!)  
  
**yailin,** (¡¡¡Te quiero!!! ¡ me encanta hablar prideshipping contigo! ¡ Estoy tan contenta de haber hecho un amigo como tú!)  
  
**herbfairy/saralley** , (GIRL!!! -screeeaaamssss- I love talking chapters with you on tumblr! Let’s never stop!)

  
**tkbakura** ,(hi hi hi hih hi -waves energetically! I love your writing! Thank you for taking the time to read mine!)  
  
**seto kaibaes** ,(a.k.a fjksjkskj, I will remember this fondly. LOL. And ppl reading this be like …wtf.)

 **ryanheath** , (DUDE!!! Hi!! Thank you for following this story to the end?!?!? -highfives-)

 and **desertrose3000** (I love your tumblr!!! Thank you for reading with me to the end!!!)

You all manage to astound me with the amount of depth you pull from my writing! Its like you’re reading my mind!

And I’m super grateful for all you anons who leave kudos, asks, bookmarks, and comments!

I see every little thing and it motivates me to no end!

THANK YOU for clicking on this story and giving it your time of day.

\+ I’ll come back fresh with some I AM JUST A POOR AND STARVING ARTIST.

Love and hugs,

UGLI  
  
p.s. want updates about my day/my week/my thought process?  
Hmu on tumblr or discord!

OOO…sorry ONE MORE THING. I’ve also had a strange number of anons asking me where they can send physical fanmail? Ummm…and if you wanna email me  
  
(prettiugli@gmail.com)  
  
or PM me  
  
(on tumblr)…as a NOT anon, we can discuss that :D cuz…I would like to at least know your name and get to know you a little better I hope?

Yea. Yep. Ok that is…all.

BYEEeeee!!


	31. Your

Yami raised his head to gaze up at the black dome, feeling a surge of anger and frustration.

He gave it the middle finger, seeing his own distorted reflection, and he turned away irritably, kicking the edge of the bed frame, wondering what odd hole he had dug himself into.  
  
Seto was now treating him this way…because he was angry.

Well, then, he just had to behave…until Seto forgave him.

Yami sat down on the edge of the bed, his legs weak with hunger.

Well, this was irritating. How the hell was he supposed to get food?!

He glared up at the camera above him and spoke angrily at it, “Hey! I’m fucking hungry.”

Silence.

Rolling his eyes in frustration, Yami slid off the large bed and paced the room, eyeing the four empty walls.

He fixated on the single nightstand, and he yanked the drawer open, glancing inside tentatively, relieved to find that it was empty.

As he had suspected, Seto had been lying about chaining him to the bed.

He rushed to the window and threw the heavy curtains back, letting the warm sunlight filter into the room.  
Then, he strode towards the wall where the closets had originally been, and gave it a solid knock.  
It didn’t sound hollow.

He gave it another knock, carefully feeling his way up and down the wall, thinking there was no way Seto could’ve remodeled the house in the short time he had been gone.

The lock clicked and Yami ignored it, continuing to feel his way along the wall, searching for any strange ridges or bumps, and finding none because the surface was slick and smooth.

“Yami…help.”

Yami turned around to see Mokuba wobbling unsteadily towards the bed, carrying a silver tray laden with fruit, bread, and baked sweets.

Trying to hide his shock, Yami helped Mokuba set the tray down on the edge of the bed, and he looked the child in the face, pleased to see Mokuba smiling warmly back at him.

“Thank you…” Yami said slowly, his eyes drifting towards the door, which Mokuba had left wide open.

“I saw Isono prepping your tray and asked if I could bring it up instead,” Mokuba said carelessly, climbing up on the bed and sitting cross-legged. “What were you doing? You’re wondering why Seto changed the room, right?”

Yami nodded silently, tearing his gaze away from the door and watching Mokuba poke at a sandwich sitting on the tray.

“Don’t do that,” Yami said tiredly, sliding the tray out of Mokuba’s reach and staring at a very shiny apple, his mind racing with a thousand questions.

He glanced at the open door again, his heart pounding uncertainly.

Mokuba noticed this and frowned.

“You can’t go outside,” he said, staring intently into Yami’s face. “There’s an army of police looking for you.”

Yami blinked, his mouth going dry, and he recalled seeing the dark mass of police cars parked around the blue fountain in front of the house. Right.

“An army?” Yami echoed anxiously, and Mokuba propped his head up on his hands, nodding sadly.

“Yeah, they even went into my room. And they found your dictionary,” Mokuba said plainly, dragging his finger along the comforter. “Seto destroyed everything afterwards. He even broke the TV.”

Stunned, Yami stared at Mokuba, waiting for him to continue. There was a long silence, and Yami tried speaking several times before he found his voice again.

“Seto broke the TV,” Yami repeated, staring at the blank wall where the closets used to be. “And he destroyed everything. What is everything?”

“Everything,” Mokuba shrugged, absently picking up a single grape off the tray and popping it into his mouth, chewing on it slowly. “His desk was upside down and this whole room was a mess. We cleaned it, and the only thing that wasn’t ruined was the bed.”

“I see,” Yami said tightly, staring out the window, letting the sunlight burn into his eyes, his stomach churning with a mixture of guilt and anxiety.

Seto had broken the TV and destroyed the entire room…in anger?

“We looked everywhere for you,” Mokuba continued, sounding accusatory. “You made Seto cry. He didn’t come home that night. And when he did come home, he didn’t sleep or eat.”

Yami grit his teeth, feeling slightly dizzy, understanding that he had made Seto worry about him.

“I thought you were mad at me, or mad at Seto,” Mokuba said, raising his head to give Yami a tearful look. “Don’t do that again!”

“I won’t,” Yami said hurriedly, and Mokuba leaned away, his demeanor changing instantly.

“Well, I’m still mad at you,” Mokuba said coldly, and Yami bit his lower lip painfully, feeling another bubble of guilt sit low in his stomach.  
These two were definitely related.  
Mokuba’s moods changed just as fast as Seto’s did.  
How terrifying.

The child slid off the bed slowly and walked to the door, resting his hand lightly on the handle, looking slightly impatient. “Maybe it’s because you’re a foreigner, but you don’t promise to marry someone and then run away. That’s just rude.”

“I didn’t…” Yami swallowed tightly, feeling stressed, deciding it was better to just continue apologizing. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you better be,” Mokuba said grumpily, slamming the door shut behind himself and leaving Yami alone in the ringing silence.

Conflicted, Yami turned his gaze upwards at the black domed camera, hesitating for a moment before speaking.

“Seto?”

Silence.

Deciding to wait, Yami climbed atop the bed and transferred the tray of food to the nightstand.  
He wanted to apologize to Seto personally, but it seemed that his owner was intent on ignoring him.

Restless, he got up off the bed and walked to the window, sliding the lock aside before giving the pane and a rough push upwards, surprised when it rose steadily and a warm breeze blew into the room, ruffling his blonde bangs pleasantly.

Frowning, Yami inspected the screen, noticing that it all looked normal. It wasn’t glued into place, which meant that everything Seto had said about the window being locked was a lie.

Leaning away quickly, Yami rushed to the door and tried the handle, unable to contain his disbelief when it turned easily in his grasp. He pulled the door open a small crack and peered into the hallway, hearing his heart thumping nervously in his chest.  
  
Nothing. No one. The hallway was empty.

Closing the door gently, Yami walked back to the bed and sat down on the edge, trying to sort his feelings out.

What did he know about Seto?

He was a man of his word.

If he said the door was going to be locked, it would be locked, wouldn’t it?  
  
He was understanding…to an extent.  
  
He was kind…truly kind, and based on the way he behaved with Mokuba, people who were close to his heart were treated with extra care, which meant…different rules.

The above rules didn’t apply.

Yami leaned back onto the pillows and gazed up at the bare ceiling, wishing the chandelier was still hanging above his head. Anything was better than that ugly black dome.

He closed his eyes, seeing Seto’s intense, concentrated expression hovering above him, his forehead beaded with sweat, his blue eyes narrowed in concentration while his body moved up and down rhythmically over his…

Horrible.

It was like Seto had turned into a robot or an alien.

Yami flipped over onto his side and shut his eyes tightly, erasing the memory viciously.

 _What should I do?_ Yami asked himself fiercely, but his mind remained stubbornly blank.  
Great. He had no help.  
The nameless boy’s advice had expired long ago.  
Lina’s advice was also no longer useful.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Yami pressed his face tighter into the pillow, willing for sleep to come.  
It was only the middle of the afternoon, and the room was empty.  
There was nothing he could entertain himself with.  
Sex with Seto was preferable to this punishment.  
A man could go mad like this.

* * *

Seto drummed his fingers anxiously on the table, unable to calm his nerves at the meeting table.

His phone had not buzzed in his pocket, so that meant the camera hadn’t sensed that Yami wasn’t doing anything bad, right?

But the camera could be fooled, and Seto knew Yami was clever enough to fool a camera, so he had to partially rely on a text or a call from Isono, and he knew that old man didn’t approve of the way he had set up Yami’s new room, so the only human source he had left to rely on was Mokuba.

“Mr. Kaiba?”

Kaiba snapped his head up and made eye contact with a skinny, balding executive sitting across from him at the table.

“Sure,” Kaiba said lamely, trying to hide the fact that he hadn’t been listening from the start, and that earned him several strange stares from around the table.

“Really?” the man said testily, tapping his pen on his notepad disapprovingly. “You think it’s a good idea that we just answer questions about your engagement rather than address the scandal that happened on the cruise ship?”

“It’s not really a scandal,” Kaiba tried to correct his mistake hastily. “We’ve severed all ties with that horrible woman and her father.”

“We’re saying it has _become_ a scandal, Mr. Kaiba,” a familiar woman said irritably. “You weren’t listening when we said that your actions leaving the ship made it seem like you knew something bad had happened before anyone else did. The media has caught on.”

“Well, they don’t know anything,” Kaiba replied arrogantly, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket, and he steeled his attention towards the woman, hating the fact that he remembered her from their half-date, eons ago.

“Who is that foreigner you are with?” another man interjected, and Kaiba felt himself break out into a cold sweat. The interrogation from the police wasn’t enough…he now had to sit through suspicious questioning from his board of executives, and somehow appear convincing? With what lie?

Or maybe a truth would set him free….

“Mr. Kaiba, are you feeling alright?” the man closest to his left asked worriedly, looking him right in the face, and Kaiba sat up straighter, willing himself to pull it together.

“All he’s doing is thinking about _her_ ,” the woman he had dated said nastily, gazing around the table for support. “Who is she, Mr. Kaiba? Feel free to tell us.”

“The foreigner is a friend I made—” Kaiba started, and before he could come up with the second part to that lie, he was interrupted by the woman again.

“Right, change the subject to your so-called friend,” she said, and a few people shifted uncomfortably in their seats. “Funny thing, your foreign friend hasn’t been photographed clearly by the media at all. Care to explain why he’s always been covered with a jacket?”

“Some people…value their privacy,” Kaiba growled, his blood boiling. What were his executives suggesting? That Yami was the “true criminal”, and that Annabelle and her father were wrongly accused?

“Or you value your secrets,” she said coldly, and a few people nodded in agreement with her. “Who is he? Or… _she_?”

“ _He_ values his privacy,” Kaiba corrected furiously, now wondering if she was insinuating that he had indeed “married” the foreigner. “He’s visiting Japan to get away from his family. Is that enough information for you?”

He stood fluidly and felt his head spin slightly and the room pulsed green. Oh…he had forgotten to eat this afternoon.

“I’ve had enough of this,” Kaiba sniffed, sweeping his laptop off the table and walking towards the door, knowing he was being extremely rude, but he didn’t care. “If the media continues to bother us, send them cease and desist statements for defamation.”

Not waiting to see the reaction from the table, Kaiba pulled the glass doors open and hurried down the hallway towards the elevator, wondering if he ought to go home to check on Yami, or go back up to his office and pretend like nothing was wrong, when in fact everything was wrong?

“Mr. Kaiba, wait…” another female voice approached him from behind, and Kaiba paused at the doorway of the elevator, hearing the echo of many footsteps coming from behind.  
  
Well, shit, he had been followed out of the meeting room by everyone.  
Was he in trouble?

“What?” Kaiba hissed through gritted teeth and spun around to face the group, watching them all look away uncomfortably any time he tried to make eye contact.

“We’ve come to a unanimous decision,” she began, and Kaiba bit his tongue tightly, tasting blood. This was the end. Was his board kicking him?! His board was firing him!

“He didn’t hear you,” the other woman said, once again sounding nasty. “I’ll repeat for you, Tenjou-san.” And she looked Kaiba right in the eye, smirking. “We think you should take visible leave for two months to deal with the ‘tragedy’.”

“What?” Kaiba breathed, feeling his knees grow weak, and his ears began to ring unpleasantly.  
What the hell? Visible leave?

“Go on your honeymoon,” she added coldly, “and come back when everyone has forgotten, and then announce that you’ve been officially married. Flood the magazines with interviews and photos of your bride in her dress. That is the plan. Understood?”

People were walking by, and stopping to stare at the commotion beneath them.

Seto Kaiba was standing motionless by closed elevator doors, surrounded by executive suits. Something was happening.

“It doesn’t look good for us, because your public image is quite heartless already,” another man piped up, and everyone nodded in silent consensus, and Kaiba could feel a crowd of employees gathering above them along the glass barriers of the building.

“Right, so pretend like you’re upset about what has happened,” the woman, Tenjou, said gently. “Come back in two weeks. We’ll have everything ready, and will brief you accordingly.”

“Or don’t come back, suit yourself,” the other woman said, folding her arms across her chest stiffly.

“Right…” Kaiba breathed, taking a step back and patting around for the elevator button with his hand behind his back, finally finding it and giving it a firm press.

There was a long silence which stretched on for an eternity before the elevator doors slid open softly behind him with a soft ding, and Kaiba took another step backwards into it, glaring at his executives.

“Then you can have fun keeping our stocks up without the face of the company while I’m on my _honeymoon,”_ he sneered, resisting with all his might to say ‘bitches’ at the end of that statement, and he watched the silver doors slide shut on their frowning faces.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Kaiba dug his phone out hastily and read the text from Isono.

_“Yami is asleep. Brought books into the room, found the window open, but he opened it for air. Glad to see you didn’t cement the screen to the window frame, Master Kaiba. I suggest you adjust your behavior regarding…”_

Clicking his phone off angrily, Kaiba ignored the rest of the message.

He didn’t need a fucking lecture from Isono to tell him how to feel about Yami leaving him.  
  
He had been left, right?  
Yami had left him…or tried to, and was almost successful, which was the most terrifying thought.  
  
That was what his breakups always looked like.  
Always, it was the other person storming off in anger, throwing gifts in his face, and leaving without a word…leaving him hanging because he was the “heartless asshole” who “deserved it”.

 _What do I do?_ Kaiba thought furiously, leaning against the railing and watching the elevator doors open into the parking garage, and he strode out towards his car, growing colder with each step.

He was going home to someone who hated him, someone who was using him and his money to survive in this country.  
  
Yami had already learned everything he fucking needed to know. He was incredibly intelligent, and his fluid con on the drunken professor had been more than illuminating.  
  
This relationship had been Yami using him the entire time.  
And he had foolishly thought Yami loved him.  
  
What was ‘love’?  
A lie.  
  
He should’ve just stuck with meaningless sex.

Kaiba slid his hand into his pocket and pressed his keys with a shaking hand before yanking the door open and sliding into the driver’s seat.

He shut the door with a soft click and leaned his forehead down against the top curve of his steering wheel, his stomach curling with pain, and his eyes burned with unshed tears.

This was a shitty feeling.  
Was this what unrequited love felt like?  
This horrible, empty, hollow bubble of air permanently stuck inside his chest?

Maybe it would’ve been better to just let Yami go.  
Because seeing him every day would be painful.  
  
Kaiba let out a sigh and heard it echo around in the cabin.  
  
His life was already crumbling anyway. He had been removed from his position for the time being, for “appearances”, and he didn’t want to be subject to Yami’s venomous glares anymore.  
  
If Yami wanted to leave, why should he be stopped?  
  
Maybe this was for the better, because Yami was dangerous anyway.

Leaning away from the steering wheel, Kaiba pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the last part of Isono’s text.

_“I suggest you adjust your behavior regarding Yami and his sudden departure. You know I had to send him away due to the incident, and he left willingly. That is all.”_

_He left willingly._  
  
_He left._  
  
Kaiba shut his eyes and leaned back into the seat, hating everything. It didn’t matter what anyone said. Yami’s behavior was pretty clear already.

Someone knocked softly on the glass beside his ear and Kaiba pried his eyes open, deeply startled.

His secretary was peering into the car with both of her hands cupped around her face, trying to see in through the tinted window.

Kaiba hastily stuck the key into the car and started the engine, seeing her jump back and press a hand to her chest, frightened.

He rolled the window down slowly and hoped that his eyes weren’t red.

“What?” he growled, thinking she could’ve texted whatever it was she needed to say.

“I-I heard what happened!” she said in a rushed whisper. “I’m sorry! Is there anything I can do?”

“No, go home,” Kaiba said blandly, and he watched her bow deeply before straightening up again with a bright look on her face.

“So, where are you going?” she asked excitedly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and glancing around the empty parking garage before dashing up to his window, smiling.

“Get…away from my car,” Kaiba said stiffly, his heart leaping into his throat, causing his airways to constrict. What the fuck did she want?!

“No! Not until you tell me where you’re going for a honeymoon!” she squealed and pressed a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. “Have you been cr—…I mean, are you okay?”  
  
Kaiba narrowed his eyes at her and quickly swept his fingers underneath his cheek, cursing internally when it came away wet.

No, he hadn’t been fucking crying over Yami like a little bitch while sitting alone in his car.  
Definitely not.

“Need any ideas?” she pressed, leaning closer towards his window, showing no signs of letting up. “I’ll email you my list of dream honeymoon locations!”

Kaiba stared at her for a long moment before he finally found his voice.

“He left me.”

Wow, that was easier to say than he thought.

“No, that can’t be right,” she said, frowning worriedly. “You talked it out with him at his apartment, didn’t you?”

“Oh, yeah, right, _his apartment_ ,” Kaiba said venomously, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “We had some really angry break-up sex. We’ve broken up and he hates me.”

 _And I’m keeping him as a prisoner in my master bedroom,_ Kaiba finished the sentence in his mind, watching her frown deepen.

“He doesn’t strike me as that kind of person, Mr. Kaiba,” she said, suddenly sounding very formal. “You should know that you make him very happy.”

“Oh shut up,” Kaiba hissed angrily and began to roll up the window. He didn’t need to hear pointless niceties from a very partial third party.

“Wait…wait!” she cried as the window rolled up completely. “I’ll email you the list of locations...!”

Kaiba pulled his car out of the space and sped off, trying to stem his frustration and rage.

At least one positive thing came out of that brief one-sided conversation.  
  
He now knew what to do.

* * *

Yami felt a rough hand on his shoulder shaking him awake, and he pried his eyes open quickly, relieved to see that it was Seto, sitting at the edge of the bed gazing at him with a strange expression on his face.

“Welcome back,” Yami said cautiously, sitting up slowly and feeling a surge of warmth in his chest.

Throwing caution to the wind, Yami inched closer to Seto and wrapped his arms confidently around his waist, feeling him stiffen significantly.

“Don’t touch me,” Kaiba said coldly, and he felt Yami’s arms tighten around his body in response.

“I missed you today,” Yami ventured boldly, and Seto pushed him off roughly to stand at the edge of the bed with his fists clenched at his sides.  
  
“Wash up. We’re leaving,” Kaiba said indifferently. “Hurry up. The plane will land in thirty minutes.”

“Where are we going?” Yami asked tentatively, sliding off the bed and glancing between Seto and the bathroom door.  
Did he just hear Seto say ‘plane’?

“You’re going home,” Seto managed through gritted teeth, and he felt his stomach curl at his own words.  
If this was the right thing to do, why did it feel so shitty?  
  
Yami wanted to go home, right?

So the least he could do was safely see Yami back to his own country and hopefully sleep better at night knowing he had done that.

“I don’t understand,” Yami said carefully, his heart pounding louder with every beat as he wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him. “I _am_ home.”

“No, you’re not,” Seto replied impatiently. “Now hurry up. I’ll wait for you outside.”

Yami felt the room tilt dangerously.  
  
Plane. Home.  
Seto was sending him back…to Egypt?!  
Impossible! This was worse than anything he had previously imagined!

Seto was almost at the door when he felt Yami rush at him and cling tightly onto his arm, his feet dragging heavily across the floor with a strange sense of familiarity.  
  
This fight, again.

“Please, don’t send me back,” Yami said quietly, and his panic began to rise tenfold when Seto remained expressionless. “I’ll live here, with you, and Mokuba! You didn’t lock the window, and I didn’t jump out! I’m staying here!”

“You don’t want to stay here, and that’s the lie, isn’t it?” Seto shot back, and he shook Yami off viciously, towering over him, shaking with a mixture of anger and sadness. “It doesn’t matter who I am, or what I have, because you walked out those gates yourself. I know.”

“I’m not—I’m not lying,” Yami whispered, pressing a hand to his chest to calm his frantically pounding heart. “Seto. Please forgive me. I won’t do it again.”

It was suddenly getting harder to breathe and it was like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

“I don’t believe you,” Seto said bluntly, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket, and he pulled it out, glancing at it half-heartedly. “Get ready for the long flight.”

He yanked the door open, and sure enough, Yami slid into his view to stubbornly block his path, his large, angular eyes shining wet with tears.

“Tell me what I can do to make it right,” Yami demanded, planting his feet apart and bracing himself against the doorframe. He would fight to keep Seto in the room and in this conversation, because he recognized this behavior all too well.  
After this, he would be ignored indefinitely.

“Nothing,” Seto answered hollowly, feeling defeated. “Step aside.”

“No,” Yami said firmly, hearing Mokuba’s footsteps approach him quietly from behind, and he ignored it. “What do you want, Seto? I can give it to you. I’ll do anything.”

“I don’t know,” Seto answered truthfully, catching Mokuba’s wide-eyed stare from behind Yami’s back. “Make me believe you, or do whatever you like. I don’t care anymore.”

“Why is there a jet outside?” Mokuba asked shrilly, his eyes darting between Yami blocking the door and Seto’s empty expression. “Are you going somewhere, Seto?”

“Move,” Kaiba said coldly, and he pushed Yami aside before bending down to give Mokuba a tight hug. “Yeah, kiddo, I’m going to fly Yami home.”

“What? …What?!” Mokuba cried, his voice muffled by Seto’s shoulder, and he met Yami’s dejected, downward stare. “Why?! You want to stay, don’t you, Yami? Is it the police? Will you come back?!”

“I...” Yami’s voice caught in his throat and he watched Seto straighten up and slowly walk away down the hall, his tall form disappearing down the stairs, and his heart sank to his feet.

“What the heck is wrong with you?!” Mokuba asked angrily, pushing Yami back into the room and closing the door with a loud slam. “Just stay until the police forget about you! It’s not that hard!”

Yami felt his knees finally give out, and he sank to the floor in a sitting position, his mind racing for a solution.  
What was that interaction just now?  
He had never seen Seto act so hollow and despondent.  
  
Something had changed between them…for the worse.  
  
He had expected Seto to come back from work and attack him in the bed.

At least that way he could still enjoy the way Seto’s lips felt against his skin.  
This was somehow worse, by far.

Seto was tossing him aside! How dare he!  
Was this fun for him? Why? Because they had sex, and it was bad?  
That couldn't be it…could it?  
  
“Talk!” Mokuba said furiously, standing over Yami and watching him stare at the floor with his head lowered so much, his spiky bangs covered his entire face.

“I need to find a way to stay,” Yami said numbly, feeling as if the world was far away, and his hearing grew tinny. “…stay…in his life.”

What was important to Seto Kaiba in his life?  
  
Not his money and not his servants, because he treated both carelessly.  
  
It was Mokuba, his little brother, and his work.  
  
“Do you like me, Mokuba?” Yami asked viciously, watching Mokuba nod irritably at him.

“Yes, stupid,” Mokuba said flatly, folding his arms across his chest firmly. “I thought you already knew that, now convince Seto to let you stay.”

There was a loud rumbling coming from the outside, and Mokuba’s arms dropped to his sides with shock.

“Too late, we’re already past that,” Yami breathed, his mind suddenly crystal clear. “Get me a phone that can call across countries, please, now!”

Mokuba wavered on the spot, pale as a sheet, and Yami stood quickly, opening the door and giving the child a quick encouraging pat on the back. “Now, go! Come back quickly!”

Yami watched him dash off down the hallway into Seto’s office and reappear clutching a clunky phone with a long antenna.

Mokuba saw Isono coming up the stairs out of the corner of his eye, and he sprinted towards Yami’s door, letting Yami shut the door behind him quickly and lean heavily against it.

“Block the door, stall Seto,” Yami commanded, and Mokuba nodded obediently, handing the phone over quickly, watching him press a series of numbers into the dial pad with ease and hold the heavy phone to his ear.

“Who are you calling?” Mokuba whispered curiously, startled when he heard a stern knock behind his back.

“Young Master?” Isono called through the door, and Yami frantically walked into the bathroom, locking himself in while he counted the rings, praying to every god he knew for someone to pick up the phone.

One ring…two rings…

He swallowed the terrible lump that was quickly rising up in his throat.

What if no one picked up?

Three rings…four rings…

On the fifth ring, a little girl’s voice echoed through the receiver. “Hello?”

Yami blinked and hastily reminded himself to switch languages in his mind before he spoke. “Who are you?”

Did the Ishtars have a child?! It hadn’t been that many years, had it?!

“Who are _you_?!” the girl asked blankly in response. “And why does your phone number show up weird?”

“Never mind that,” Yami said anxiously, hearing Isono’s muffled voice through the bathroom door admonishing Mokuba for slamming doors in the house. “I need to speak with an adult. Where is your mom? Ishizu…?”

“What?” the girl replied, sounding deeply confused. “Who is that? That’s not my mommy’s name. I’m hanging up.”

“No, no, wait!” Yami cried frantically. “What is your last name? Is it not Ishtar?”

“No! Go away!” the girl said quickly, her voice already fading. A sharp click echoed in his ear and the line went dead.

Shaking with disbelief, Yami lowered the phone and stared at it, feeling as if everything was growing farther and farther away.

They had moved.  
Where had they gone?!  
  
Was there a way to find their information on the…internet?  
No, because the royal family and anyone connected to them was heavily protected.

 _Well, shit,_ Yami thought darkly, gripping the phone tightly, his eyes burning with emotion. Now what?!  
Now what….

He pried the bathroom door open and made a beeline for Mokuba, fixating on the phone in his pocket and ignoring Isono’s surprised gasp.

Yami swiped at Mokuba’s phone and lifted it out of his pocket with ease, pleased to see that he had not lost his touch at blatant pickpocketing.

“Hey!” Mokuba cried, backing away slightly as a pang of fear shot through his chest. “What’re you doing with my phone?”

“Passcode?” Yami asked firmly, watching Mokuba and Isono stare dumbly at him.

“Password?!” Yami tried again, realizing he had forgotten to speak Japanese. “Hurry!”

“97136,” Mokuba said slowly, watching Yami tap the code into the screen and narrow his eyes in concentration.

Yami found the web browser with ease and quickly searched his own name in the browser, seeing a few old articles pop up.

Yami skimmed the titles, his chest tight with panic.

_“Royal family passes their assets down the throne after the death of King Aknamkanon…”_

That article was almost four years old. Next.

_“Mystery surrounding King Aknamkanon’s death causes confusion as officials…”_

His father’s death a mystery? More like murder. Next.

_“Akhenaden closes foreign deals that nearly bankrupts the royal family…”_

That evil old man Akhenaden had managed to bankrupt his family…! How?!

Yami let out a slow hiss between his teeth and switched the browser’s language to Arabic, seeing more recent results popping up.

_“Disappearance of the prince causes strife within the royal family as speculations rise regarding…”_

_I’ve already seen these a million times,_ Yami thought moodily, scrolling down farther.

“What is it, Yami?” Mokuba asked nervously, seeing Yami’s face darken suddenly, and Seto’s footsteps echoed up from the hallway. “He’s coming!”

_“Eyewitness claims sighting of Prince Atem abroad, but it was a false alarm…”_

And that article was two weeks old. If anyone had sighted him, it would mention Japan….  
_  
“Country in mourning as royal family announces death of beloved Prince Atem…”_

This article was recent, dating back to last week.

“Oh…shit,” Yami reeled, pressing a hand to his forehead as he stared at the date of the article.

There was another article underneath, and Yami tapped on it quickly, reading the title hungrily.

_“Royal aid, Shadi, claims the prince is still alive and is on the search.”_

A saving grace! Dear and loyal Shadi…!

Relieved, Yami tapped on the article and skimmed the words, searching for a number he could call.

_“….Akhenaden fights for the throne and claims Atem is too young to make executive decisions…turns royal aids against each other…”_

The main reason he had been forced out onto the streets. Next.  
  
_“…royal court in strife due to in-fighting…”_

Obviously. Next.

_“Shadi requests that any reporters sighting the prince will be rewarded! Please call…”_

_Finally, found you_! Yami crowed triumphantly, hearing Seto approach the door, and he dashed to lock himself in the bathroom once more, hearing Seto shout after him,

“Come back here!”

Yami pressed the numbers into the phone and leaned the bathroom door closed, hearing the knob rattle viciously beside his elbow.

“Yami, get the fuck out of there,” Seto fumed, giving the door a violent kick, and received no response. “Isono, get me the damn key to this door.”

Yami held his breath, listening to the rings, counting them between each of his heartbeats. What time was it in his country right now?!

There was a long silence, and a soft dial tone sounded in his ear before an automated, robotic female voice floated coolly out of the receiver.

_“The caller you are trying to reach is unavailable. After the tone…”_

Yami shut his eyes and said a small prayer before speaking, realizing he was about to leave a floating message on an unknown number in hopes that someone he knew would get it in time before he landed.

“Shadi, it’s me,” Yami whispered, and jumped in fear when he heard a series of loud, violent thumps on the door behind him, coupled with Seto shouting himself hoarse.

_“Last fucking chance, Yami! Open this door!”_

“I’m alive and I’ve found a way back,” Yami continued hastily, feeling his tongue slip strangely on his own language. “And I will be landing there on a plane from the country of Japan. I will be accompanied by a prominent businessman. His name is Seto Kaiba! I must go.”

The lock clicked and the door swung open with a loud bang.

Yami backed away instinctively as both the satellite phone and Mokuba’s phone was snatched out of his hands.

“Who the fuck are you calling?” Seto asked suspiciously, hitting re-dial on the phone and pressing it to his ear, watching Yami’s eyes widen at him.

Mokuba inched into the bathroom, eying his phone in Seto’s hand before giving it a solid yank and dashing out again.

Yami anxiously watched him go, his gaze darting between the open door, and Seto holding the satellite phone up to his ear.

After a few short rings, an automated message picked up on the other end, and Seto hung up furiously, setting the phone aside on the counter, realizing that Yami was still keeping secrets from him.

“Tell me who you called,” Seto said coldly, and Yami looked oddly forlorn.

“Nobody,” Yami answered slowly, scrambling for lie he could tell to elicit sympathy. “It was someone I thought was a family member, but their number doesn’t work anymore, meaning I am truly alone. I can’t believe you will send me back after knowing that.”

“The number works,” Seto replied stiffly, catching Yami’s lie immediately. “If it didn’t work, there would be a three-toned ring. Don’t lie to me like I’m stupid.”

“Good to know it works,” Yami answered vaguely, seeing the businessman narrow his eyes at him. “They didn’t answer.”

“Obviously,” Seto hissed, giving up on extracting information out of Yami, so he pointed out the door. “Let’s go.”

Yami grit his teeth and held his head high, walking by Seto without looking at him and past Isono and Mokuba, who both bowed simultaneously as he reached the door.

Startled at the sudden choreography, he wondered if he ought to give Mokuba another hug before leaving for good this time.

“Keep walking,” Seto said angrily, giving Yami a shove out the door and he shot Mokuba a stern look. “Bed. No TV.”

“Kay, have a nice flight Seto,” Mokuba answered robotically, and his manservant bowed again, looking oddly calm about the whole situation.

Wasn’t this old man yelling at him for being too cruel to Yami earlier? Hypocrite.

“Good night, Master Kaiba,” Isono said quietly, and the door shut with a resounding click.

There was a long silence before Mokuba raised his head to gaze up at him, and they hovered over the phone, holding their breaths.

“I just tapped ‘translate’, and this is what I saw,” Mokuba said excitedly, holding the phone up higher for Isono to see.

Several news articles popped up, reading:  
  
_“Disappearance of the prince causes strife within the royal family as speculations rise regarding…”_  
  
“Eyewitness claims sighting of Prince Atem abroad, but was a false alarm…”

“And look what happens when you search images,” Mokuba said devilishly, and Isono watched the child tap on _‘images’_ with a tiny finger.

The screen blinked, refreshing with a slew of strange pictures showing the spiky-haired foreigner dressed in what he assumed was traditional garb from his country.

A beautiful golden crown sat atop his head, complimenting the fiery red and black spikes in his hair. It was an odd sight to see.

An ornate collar inlaid with precious stones hung delicately down the front of his chest, and golden armbands hugged his tanned, slender wrists.  
  
He sat on a tall golden throne in one photo, with three men bowed at the ground in front of him.

Isono paled and felt his heart skip several terrified beats in his chest.  
  
R-Royalty?!

“Cool, right?” Mokuba said plainly, scrolling through the photos with an air of interest. “I didn’t know that Yami’s like a king or something. I bet Seto doesn’t know. And I’m not gonna tell him.”

“Right…” Isono heard himself answer, and he felt slightly faint.

He would’ve never guessed in a million years that the spiky-haired boy had royal roots. The way he behaved was so painfully humble, always asking to help around the house…it almost didn’t make sense…but, somehow, it seemed to fit.

Perhaps that was why he could get along with Master Kaiba so well.

“Who do you think he was calling?” Mokuba asked, and Isono rushed into the bathroom to grab the phone off the counter.

“I’ll keep the phone with me,” Isono said solemnly, gently leading the younger Kaiba down the grand staircase and back into his room. “Whoever it is, they might call back.”

* * *

**Author’s note:**

  
Look! A continuation.  
Let me know your thoughts. I crave feedback.  
  
without my dear editor, ylje, these chapters would not happen every week.  
We owe her a great big thanks  <3

This chapter was dedicated to QUEENBEWD for sending me the sweetest message which inspired me to write this continuation. Thank you.

Hugs,  
Ugli


	32. smile

Yami sat very still in the leather seat, watching Seto stare at his laptop in front of him and continue to ignore him pointedly.

The loud rumbling of the jet engine rang unpleasantly in his ears, and Yami curled his fingers into a tight fist, thinking that this was his last chance to make amends with Seto.

“Can we talk?” he asked, noticing that Seto’s eyebrow twitched in response.

There was a long silence, and Yami felt himself sweat. He sighed and resigned himself to observing the beige trim of the jet’s interior.

Plush, wide seating were available by each large window, and the soft glow of tiny lights lit up the center walkway, lining it like a red carpet. Several rounded seats were scattered around the back end of the hallway, and large tables were set up in front of them.  
  
Card playing tables.  
  
Yami had been in planes like these when traveling to summits with his late father.  
The memory was painful.

Seto grit his teeth through the heavy silence and stared at the blank document he had opened on his screen, absently tapping in random words to pretend like he was busy.

Sun. Rain. Sky. Bacon. Red. Green…blue.

Now he was just typing the names of colors.

“I shouldn’t have left,” Yami said carefully, deciding to speak his thoughts plainly. “Honestly, I didn’t want to cause more trouble for you. I consulted Isono, and we both agreed it was best that I disappear.”

There was another long silence, and Yami gazed at Seto, noticing that his eyes were fixed on one spot on the screen. He was listening.

“Forgive me,” Yami said keenly, inching forward to the very edge of his seat, resisting the urge to grab Seto’s laptop from his hands and to throw it across the room.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Seto answered hollowly, staring at his blank document of random words. “I wasn’t angry in the first place.”

“That’s a lie,” Yami said angrily, recalling how Mokuba had told him about how Seto had destroyed the room in a fit of rage. “How long are you going to stay angry with me?”

“I’m not angry,” Seto answered after a long silence, and he met Yami’s angular, violet stare.  
It was the truth.  
He felt hurt, not angry.

“Then why are we here?” Yami asked lightly, noticing that Seto’s knuckles were white over the armrest. “What do you want to do with me exactly? Drop me off in midair while we’re flying over Egypt and say that you’ve never met me?”

“Parachutes are in the side panel in the back,” Seto replied coldly, staring at the word ‘blue’ on his screen.  
Why was he behaving like this?!  
Yami had already apologized…multiple times.  
Why was it so hard to accept his apology?

Yami narrowed his eyes at the young CEO, beginning to lose his patience.  
He had done everything right.   
Even Isono and Mokuba had accepted his apology, so why was Seto being so difficult?

“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Yami said mockingly, planning his next steps carefully. “You can drop me off anywhere in the world, and I will find you.”

“Don’t care,” came the careless reply, and they sat in silence once more.

“There wasn’t a moment where I didn’t think about you!” Yami said in a rush, leaning forward earnestly and watching Seto blink rapidly in response. “I was really scared because I thought you’d never come after me, but you did. And I’m glad you did.”

Seto ran his tongue along the underside of his teeth and snapped his laptop shut, looking Yami in the face, feeling his cheeks burn with a mixture of rage and humiliation.

“You’re only glad because you were chained to a hotel bed, _for sale_ ,” Seto replied spitefully, and Yami shook his head angrily, looking oddly determined.

“That was bad timing,” Yami declared, believing this with all his might. “You could’ve come a day earlier, and I would’ve been at Yugi’s house.”

“I could’ve come a day later, and you’d be in another country, who the fuck knows where,” Seto shot back, secretly pleased that they were arguing quite fluently.

“I’d be dead,” Yami said firmly, giving Seto a serious glare. “I would’ve made sure of it.”

Seto gripped the armrest of his seat very tightly, his stomach curling at the thought of finding Yami dead.

“Don’t joke about suicide,” Seto said gruffly, leaning back into the seat and choosing to look out the dark window, seeing his own distressed reflection staring back at him.

“It’s not a joke,” Yami said indignantly, eyeing Seto’s lap intensely, wondering if he could somehow climb on top of him and pin him down. The seat was wide enough for two people….

“Whatever,” Seto answered coldly, and the laptop was flipped open once more.

Yami frowned, realizing that the conversation had ended. He stood slowly and moved towards Seto’s seated form, faintly wondering if the message he had left on the unknown number had reached Shadi.  
  
That was the last ace up his sleeve, but there was no way to know until they landed, so he needed to act as if this was the last time he would ever see Seto.  
  
“You don’t want me as your plaything?” Yami asked bluntly, watching Seto slowly raise his head to stare at him, his blue eyes wide with shock.

“Plaything?” Seto echoed, and another pang of despair bubbled up in his chest.  
Yami was forever referring to himself as such.

“Yes,” Yami answered impatiently, now fully fed up with Seto’s cold behavior.  
He wanted the warm Seto back…The one whose smile reached his eyes and used gentle hands. “Answer me truthfully. I won’t feel offended.”

“Yeah, you make a shitty _‘plaything’_ ,” Seto said spitefully, and the blood rushed loudly in his ears.  
He wanted Yami as a partner, a life partner.  
Was that too much to fucking ask for?!  
  
He would turn this plane around immediately if Yami said he wanted to be partners.  
  
Hell, he’d even settle for the term ‘boyfriend’ at this point, but it seemed like ‘owner’ was going to be his name forever.

“I make a shitty plaything,” Yami repeated Seto’s words, his stomach curling with disappointment. “Then I’ll do better. I’ll look prettier for you. I’ll even stay in the room with no furniture for you! In return, you will treat me gently.”

“No, this isn’t a bargain! And this isn’t ‘for me’!” Seto hissed, feeling the air grow thin.  
It was hard to breathe.  
Godammit it all to hell.  
He knew what Yami wanted, and that was the entire problem.  
  
Yami wanted to be ‘treated gently’ and ‘kindly’, in return for citizenship, and a roof over his head.  
  
He could literally be some random person off the street offering Yami these things, and Yami would agree to those terms, if only he was ‘treated kindly and gently’.  
  
“Then?” Yami scrambled desperately for a way to win this argument, because he was quickly running out of words. “If it’s not a bargain, and it’s not for you, we will do what I want.”

“You can do whatever _you_ want,” Seto answered icily, glaring at Yami’s determined expression. “We’re landing in a few hours anyway.”

The blood rushed loudly in Yami’s ears as he grew increasingly more frustrated, and he sat back down, tapping his fingers along the glossy armrest, knowing the longer they were in the air, the less time he had with Seto.  
  
He could see himself landing, and be welcomed back into his old life by Shadi, Mahad, Mana, and the others.  
Seto Kaiba was someone who existed in his life for a short period of time.  
  
He would be known as a man who helped him out of grave trouble.  
A man he loved.  
A brief, but deep love.  
…This really would be his last moments with Seto Kaiba.

Yami grit his teeth and glanced out the window, seeing nothing but darkness below.

There was an odd rustling before something soft landed in his lap, and Yami glanced down, staring at the soft blue blanket.

He noticed Seto had a similar blanket in his lap, and he curled his fingers over the soft fabric, willing himself not to cry.

Even when Seto was angry, he was kind. He meant well.

Yami kicked off his shoes and curled up under the blanket, tucking his knees under his chin, watching Seto’s fingers moving mechanically across the keyboard.

He studied the way Seto’s light brown bangs hung down over his brow, memorizing the way they sat just above his clear blue eyes, making him look more serious.

Seto could feel Yami’s eyes on him, and his skin burned from the intensity of his gaze, and he tried his best not to react.

He shifted slightly, wondering if he ought to talk to Yami, and ask if he had learned his lesson, saying something along the lines of, _“Ha, so you’ll never walk out on me again, right?”_

An email notification from his secretary popped up in the corner of his laptop, and Seto stared at it, his stomach churning with a mixture of uncertainty and anxiety.

_“Mr. Kaibaaaa!! Here is my list of honeymoon locations!! I called your home but Isono said you had already left! Well it looks like you’ve already decided, but here it is anyway…”_

He clicked away and snuck a glance at Yami, startled to find that he had fallen asleep in the plush seat across from him, curled up comfortably underneath the blanket.

Sighing, Seto closed his laptop gently and propped his head up on one hand, staring at Yami’s delicate features, wondering if he should turn the plane around now.

Conflicted, Seto frowned and leaned back into the seat, his eyelids growing heavy.  
  
He would have to ask Yami if he wanted to see his home country, and if he did, they would land the plane when he woke up.

* * *

The phone rang loudly beside Isono’s head, and he groggily crept his hand across the nightstand to pick it up, accidently knocking it over, causing it to land on the floor with a loud thunk and a clatter.

Suddenly remembering that he was supposed to be awake and waiting for a call from a mysterious number, Isono bolted upright and clambered off the bed, frantically patting the floor for the still-ringing phone, quickly finding it before and sweeping it up, just as it went silent.

Sitting back on his heels, Isono held his breath and waited, listening to his own heartbeats in the darkness, hoping that the caller would ring again.

Sure enough, a shrill rapid trilling emitted from the phone, and Isono answered it smoothly.

“Kaiba residence.”

There was a long silence on the other end before a deep voice responded in a foreign language, sounding rushed.

Isono broke out into a cold sweat, realizing that he couldn't communicate with this person without…Yami!

There was a long pause on the other end as they waited for a response, and Isono stammered nervously into the receiver in English, “I-I’m sorry, cannot understand…!”

“That’s okay, I can speak.” The voice on the other end switched languages with so much ease, it was alarming, and Isono struggled to make sense of the rapid-fire English that followed.

“…was a call…wouldn’t be at all…. much trouble, please let us know if he…because…and thank you.”

Now sweating profusely, Isono wondered if it wasn’t too much to wake young Mokuba and get him to translate.

The deep voice was still speaking fluent English, without pausing for a breath.

Standing slowly, Isono made his way out of his room and through the house, walking up the grand staircase with urgency, quietly entering Mokuba’s room.

He saw the glow of a phone underneath the sheets disappear quickly.  
  
So, the young master was awake anyway.

“Mokuba, come here and listen to what this man is saying,” Isono said nervously, tapping on the lights, and Mokuba sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes at the sudden brightness that flooded the room.

Isono placed the heavy satellite phone in Mokuba’s lap and watched the child cautiously raise it to his ear and listen intently.

“Hello? Hello? Anyone there?” a deep voice said urgently in English, and Mokuba’s eyes widened in surprise.

Isono gave him an encouraging gesture, mouthing the word “speak”.

“Kaiba…residence,” Mokuba said uncertainly, thinking his own voice sounded weird when he spoke English. He barely knew any conversational English! And who was this person anyway?!

“A child?!” Mokuba heard another man’s voice in the background, sounding shocked. “Where was the old man who answered earlier?”

“He is still here,” Mokuba said loudly, and there was a long silence on the other side before the deep voice spoke again, sounding distressed.

“Very well, hello child,” the man said politely. “We received a call and a message from this number. Let us speak to the person who called first.”

“Oh, yeah,” Mokuba said knowingly, scrambling to piece together a sentence in his mind, but he gave up in the end and just said, “He is not here.”

“Where did he go?” a frantic female voice in the background asked in heavily accented English. “Please tell us! There was shouting!”

Mokuba grit his teeth nervously. The shouting they had heard was probably from Seto pounding on the door. Was this…Yami’s family?! Or his enemies?

“Who are you guys?” Mokuba blurted, not caring if he sounded rude. He didn’t know how to sound polite in English.

“We are…” the deep man’s voice paused, and the subject was changed completely. “Please tell us where he is.”

Isono was making odd gestures, and Mokuba ignored him.

“Why should I tell you anything?” Mokuba demanded, wondering if these people were trying to hurt Yami. They were, weren’t they? Those news articles about someone overpowering Yami for a throne, it was these people!

“Because he has been missing for two and a half years now! Almost three,” the other man’s voice said in the background. “We thought he was dead! If he is alive, we must speak with him!”

“I’m hanging up,” Mokuba said plainly. “It’s past my bedtime.”

“No, no no no, child, please, don’t hang up,” the deep voice said again, attempting to sound soothing, but he only sounded more panicked. “I am a royal ambassador for…and I only wish to know…”

Mokuba lowered the phone and hung up, tucking his knees under his chin and staring at the clunky device sitting atop his sheets, wondering if he ought to feel frightened.

“What did they want?” Isono asked breathlessly, and the phone rang shrilly again. He watched Mokuba viciously reject the call by pressing the small red button.

“They want to hurt Yami,” Mokuba said firmly, pushing the phone away from him disdainfully. “They’re the people who are looking to kill him and take his throne.”

“They’ve already taken his throne, so there’s no need to kill him,” Isono replied seriously, hearing the phone ring for the umpteenth time, and he watched the young master muffle it beneath the thick sheets. “Tell me what they were saying, dear Mokuba.”

“Nothing, they said nothing!” Mokuba glared angrily at his manservant, trying to stem his own frustrations. “They just wanted to know if he was alive, so they could kill him!”

“That’s surely not true,” Isono said gravely, wondering if the child could be right. Children were good at sensing ill intentions from people….

“Well, they’re bad news,” Mokuba huffed, lying back down and pulling the sheets over his head. “Yami is scared of them for a reason, and Yami is smart. Good night, Isono.”

Isono nodded stiffly and picked the phone up before leaving the room quietly.

It rang insistently in his hand again, and he rejected the call, deciding he would plug this phone into their computers to block the number from here on out.

* * *

A rough hand on Kaiba’s shoulder shook him awake, and he blinked up at the unfamiliar face hovering above him.

This guy was…the assistant pilot?  
  
“Mr. Kaiba, so sorry to wake you,” he stuttered nervously, “…but we’ve been requested by Egyptian air traffic control to land in an area that is not considered safe. It’s a politically charged area, and our government has alerted all aircrafts to—”

“Don’t care,” Kaiba interrupted, seeing Yami shift in his sleep, and he wanted to shut the pilot up as quickly as possible so as not to wake him. “Just land, and we will take off immediately again anyway.”

“It’s not safe,” the assistant pilot said solemnly. “They might provide us a safe landing, but a safe take off is not guaranteed.”

Yami was awake when he heard all of this, and he chose this moment to open his eyes and speak directly to the pilot.

“Land,” Yami said firmly, pushing the blanket off himself to sit up straight, and Seto’s eyes widened at the corners. “They will provide safe landing and departure.”

“Y-You don’t know that, sir?” the pilot said anxiously, looking at Kaiba for approval. “Shall we turn around then? We’ll land in a nearby—”

“No, land where they asked!” Yami insisted, wondering if death was waiting for him via sniper. He knew that runway by heart, and he wouldn’t put it past Akhenaden to post shooters at the rooftops to kill him the second he realized he was alive.

“I see, you want to go home that badly,” Kaiba said coldly, and his stomach twisted with pain and dread.

There was a long, uneasy silence before Kaiba nodded at the pilot. “Land, refuel if needed, and we’ll leave within the hour.”

Yami watched the pilot hurry away and he glanced eagerly out the window, unable to help himself. Land! He could see land! Very tiny buildings and tiny dots of cars driving along thin strips of road.  
  
Kaiba watched Yami’s excited behavior with sinking despair.  
  
Of course Yami would be from a very politically charged area. He was from the streets, probably displaced…most likely due to war, or…? Kaiba wasn’t too sure, and his fingers inched down towards his phone in his pocket as goosebumps rose up along his arms, wondering if he should look it up to confirm.  
  
Human trafficking…war…they were closely linked….

The plane made a visible dip, and Kaiba’s stomach curled even tighter. He was beginning to feel nauseous, but Yami seemed to be just fine.

His nose was pressed against the rounded window, his violet eyes bright with interest.

Kaiba grit his teeth when the plane descended roughly again, and he gripped the arm rests tightly.

“Hey, come here,” he heard himself say, and Yami slowly turned his head to look at him with a strange expression on his face.

“I said, come here,” Kaiba growled.  
He would tell Yami that he was forgiven now, and they would head back to Japan after they refueled.

They wouldn’t step off the plane, because the way Yami was acting right now was making him feel strange, and he couldn't put his finger on why.

“It’s…dangerous to move while we are landing,” Yami said lamely, leveling his gaze with the CEO, wondering what game Seto was playing now. Or maybe this was a test. Either way…it was strange.  
Seto never asked for him to go anywhere, much less…near him.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at Yami, wondering if he ought to follow up with a threat or another command, but thankfully, he didn’t have to, because Yami unbuckled himself smoothly and stood fluidly, moving to stand in front of him, clearly unsteady on his feet.

The plane dipped again, and Yami lost his balance, but a strong arm wrapped around his waist, steadying him.

Kaiba pulled him close and pressed his face into Yami’s slender shoulder, wondering what had possessed him to act this way.  
He knew.  
It was because they were landing in Yami’s home country, and he knew that Yami leaving him was now a definite possibility.  
  
He had fucked up.

And not once, had he ever told Yami that he loved him back.  
Yami was always saying it to him, and he had always ignored it or brushed it off.

“Okay, let me return to my seat,” Yami said, sounding awkwardly formal, and Kaiba felt a gentle pat on his shoulder.

A searing wave of rage consumed him, and he tilted his head up to glare at Yami.  
  
“Say something nice to me,” Kaiba said darkly, tightening his arms around Yami’s waist, feeling him squirm uncomfortably in his embrace.

“I…think you’re very nice, taking me all the way back here.” Yami nodded firmly, his stomach dropping to the floor as the plane continued to descend. He had been counting the drops, knowing there was only a few more until land….

“I think you owe me something,” Kaiba said spitefully, finally realizing how cold and awful he sounded. It was no wonder no one wanted to stick around to date him. Meaningless sex was the best he could do for himself.

“I owe you everything,” Yami replied automatically, and he was thrown forward suddenly when the plane’s wheels hit the ground with a resounding thud, followed by brown buildings that were rushing by in a muddy blur outside his window, and Yami ducked down instinctively, his chin hitting the top of Kaiba’s head.

He had heard rumors of snipers shooting officials right when they landed. His father had warned him of the dangers of sitting at the front by the windows. This was why they sat at the back, with the card playing tables.

This was a very real threat, and they had no protection on this plane.  
Seto had not brought his usual entourage of men in dark suits.

Yami tensed, realizing that they were very vulnerable, and that they were in this position because Seto had let his guard down.  
  
They had foolishly landed here with no one to escort them from the asphalt to the buildings!  
  
Shaking and trembling, Yami attempted to keep his composure.  
  
_It’s my fault,_ he thought numbly, feeling Seto’s forehead nuzzling warmly into his chest, and his stomach twisted with a mixture of fear and arousal.  
  
Seto…had let his guard down…and it was his fault!  
  
There was safety at the back of the plane. No windows were there.  
  
“Come here,” Yami said shakily, leaning away from Seto and pointing towrad the back of the plane. “Let’s sit back there.”

“No,” Seto responded stubbornly, his nose inches away from Yami’s nipple under his shirt. “We stay here.”

Yami pushed him away and pulled him to his feet with surprising force, leading him by the hand to the back of the plane, and Seto stumbled in his step, following him reluctantly, unable to hear his own thoughts through the horrible ringing in his ears.  
  
Fine, they could fuck back here instead.

“Sit,” Yami insisted, pulling Seto down into the seat beside him, and he breathed a small sigh of relief, irritated by the sudden change in behavior from his owner.

 _Owner?_ Yami kicked himself mentally, feeling a warm breath graze the shell of his ear, followed by the sting of teeth, and Seto’s voice made him shiver.

“I want something from you,” Seto said evilly, fully aware that Yami was incredibly tense, and he gave Yami’s arms a slow squeeze, relishing in each ripple of muscle.  
  
“And you can have it,” Yami answered distractedly, seeing the pilot and the assistant pilot exit the cockpit and walk down the aisle towards them.

“Mr. Kaiba, we’ve been instructed to wait inside the plane by—”

He was interrupted by a sharp clack, and both pilots jumped, staring at the window beside them, which had cracked significantly.

A spider web of cracks encircled a tiny hole in the thick paned glass, and Yami watched them both turn very pale before diving to the floor with their arms above their heads, shaking and gasping.

“We’re being shot at!”

Seto glanced up to stare, shocked, his mind groggy and his lungs full of Yami’s exotic scent, which he had missed so much, wondering what the hell was happening.  
  
Did he just hear a bullet hit the windows?!

 _Bulletproof windows, of course!_ Yami froze, incredibly thankful in that moment that Seto was who he was, and he threw his arms around Seto’s neck, planting a passionate kiss on his parted lips.

Seto blinked rapidly, his mind spinning with horror and confusion.  
  
Yami was kissing him so deeply…he had missed this so much.  
  
They were being shot at, and his pilots were whimpering on the ground in front of them.  
  
But…Yami was kissing him, and he tasted like sweet mint.  
  
But they were being shot at….  
  
But Yami was kissing him…and his tongue was sliding sensually along his bottom lip and it felt heavenly….  
   
But…were they caught in a death trap?

Seto tensed and jerked away, wondering if Yami had known that this would happen, because he had been led back here….!  
Yami would never betray him, and this was solid proof of that.  
It was safe to love this man.

Yami watched Seto lean away, his blue eyes wide with fear and panic.

“You knew we’d be shot at!” he said accusingly, and Yami licked his lips, feeling them swell and tingle.

“I suppose,” Yami answered mildly, and a deep bubble of anger sat low in his chest. Points to that old man for trying.

“Get up, we’re taking off,” Kaiba snapped at his pilots, but both men stayed flat and motionless on the floor, comically face down with their chins in the carpet.

“We…but…the windows are cracked,” the pilot protested meekly, his hands tightening in his hair. “We’ll lose air pressure the second we hit cruising altitude.”

“I’m not saying fly back,” Kaiba spat, his fear rising by the second. “Get us off the ground, now! Land in a field nearby for all I care.”

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he slid it out quickly, answering it mindlessly, even though he didn’t recognize the number across the screen.

“What!” he almost shouted into the receiver, and there was a long pause on the other end before a deep voice spoke awkwardly in Arabic.

Yami heard a familiar voice floating from the phone, and he snatched it out of Seto’s hands, bursting with relief and gratitude.

“Shadi?!” he cried, hearing a similar cry of relief and joy on the other end.

“Stay inside the plane!” Shadi commanded urgently, skipping over the pleasantries completely, sounding very stressed. “There are a few rebels on the rooftops with weapons. We’re taking care of them now so the security team can reach you on the tarmac!”

“Yes, thank you, thank you,” Yami repeated, so choked with emotion, he was unable to say anything else.

“They’re really harmless,” Shadi continued, sounding as if he was saying this more for himself than anyone else. “Left over from Akhenaden’s generation of insurgents—”

“Tell me later. How did you get this number?” Yami asked breathlessly, and he could feel Seto’s eyes on his face, and it was making his skin burn.

“You called from a house number, and we found information from there.” Mahad’s voice in the background also made Yami’s heart swell with happiness. “A young boy was very unhelpful when we called back.”  
  
“Mokuba, the younger brother,” Yami said fondly, and he heard Mana’s gasp in his ear. “You are with the heartless older brother! I’ve read the articles! Cold but handsome they said—"

“Don’t say such empty nonsense into the receiver when we’re trying to get him off the plane safely,” Mahad snapped, and Yami let out a laugh. Shadi made a discontented noise.

 “Stay in the back…” Shadi said faintly, his voice drifting away to address someone else. “Update? Rooftops are secure…Atem…I need to hang up. We are coming up.”

And there was a click before the line went dead.

Yami lowered the phone into his lap, numb with shock and relief.

“Who the fuck…and what?” Seto asked shakily, unable to form full sentences, and his pilots nodded frantically in unison, still on the floor with their hands over their heads.

“Good news and good news,” Yami said warmly, holding tightly onto Seto’s phone so much that his fingers hurt. “The rebels that were shooting at us from the rooftops were taken care of, and a team is coming to escort us safely inside.”

“A team! Thank goodness!” the assistant pilot cried, sitting up on his knees, bowing his head forward thankfully.

“Rebels? Where are we?” the pilot echoed, also sitting up and ruffling his hair nervously.

“Is someone trying to kill you?” Seto asked, aghast at the words coming out of his own mouth.

Actually, that would explain a lot.  
How do you kill your enemy? Kidnap them and sell them to another country, not as a prisoner of war, but as a…sex slave?

What had Yami done that made him a wanted man? Isono had been right this entire time. Yami was very dangerous, in all aspects.

“People are always trying to kill…something or someone,” Yami answered vaguely, unwilling to disclose the fact that Akhenaden was still a very real obstacle in his life.

The phone vibrated in his hands again and Yami picked it up with ease, pressing it to his ear and hearing Mahad slightly breathless, “Pharaoh! Lower the stairway!”

“Please lower the stairs?” Yami asked hopefully, glancing between Seto and the two pilots, watching them spring into action and disappear towards the front of the plane.

A chunk of sunshine streamed into the walkway as the door opened, and Seto began to feel uneasy.

“Who are these people and why are they helping us?” He turned to Yami, frowning when he saw that he was once again sitting very stiffly. “What the hell is wrong with you? Do you have a stick up your ass?”

Yami raked his eyes up and down Seto’s outfit, and he reached out to hastily re-adjust the crooked tie before smiling at him nervously. “No, they are my friends.”

“You have friends?” Seto said mockingly, his heart tugging strangely in his chest after Yami’s hands left his tie, and he caught another tight lipped smile from Yami.

A pair of men in dark robes stepped into the aisle and kneeled solemnly, their heads bowed so low, Seto couldn't see their faces at all.

Mildly shocked, he wondered if these people had misinterpreted the way Japanese people bowed to each other. It wasn’t down on one knee for sure….

He heard Yami speak in a commanding tone that made his hair stand on end, and he watched with rising incredulity as the two men got up and moved with military precision, flanking the sides of the aisle.

“And now, we can leave,” Yami said quietly, addressing Seto, catching an odd stare from him in response. “Later on, don’t make eye contact with me.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Seto sniffed, and Yami resisted the urge to argue.

He grabbed Seto by the wrist and pulled him out of the seat, quickly striding down the aisle and down the stairs of the jet.

Seto blinked in the harsh sunlight, hearing excited gasps from his left and right, but seeing no one until he looked down, and he almost tripped on his own feet, shocked to see a solid row of people flanking the staircase, all down on one knee.  
  
What…the fuck?!

Dizzy with confusion, Seto tried not to react when another similar group of men in dark robes converged around them in formation, walking tightly in step with them, leading them towards a pair of glass doors.

He felt Yami’s hand slip off from his wrist, and he glanced down, realizing that Yami was no longer beside him. The men were separating them! Seto stopped angrily in his step, feeling a man bump into him from behind and give him a rough push forward, saying something in Arabic, sounding irritated.

He stumbled forwards and resisted the urge to turn around and shout at the man.

The glass door opened and the cool air ruffled his hair nicely. Seto heard more happy squeals and cries of relief echoing from somewhere in front of him, but he couldn’t see past the heads of the men surrounding him.  
Somehow, these men were burlier and taller than him. H-How?!

The men broke apart after a few moments, and Seto found himself staring at Yami’s back. A pair of tanned arms were wrapped around his waist, belonging to a short girl with brown hair. She was jumping up and down, attempting to climb him, shoving her large breasts insistently into his chest.  
  
Wow, great. Yami had a girlfriend. This guy…was such a fucking player!

Consumed by vicious jealousy, Seto elbowed his way out from between two robed men and grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her away from Yami and hissing at her. “He’s mine, you fucking—”

He was unable to finish his insult.

Hands grabbed him from all sides and someone kicked the backs of his legs violently, forcing him to his knees, and Seto cursed when a shock of pain reverberated up from his knees the second they hit the cold stone floor.

He fought back with rage, but strong arms restrained him effectively, and a heavy hand clamped down on the back of his neck, forcing his forehead to the floor.

The deep voice he had heard over the phone was shouting above him in English, sounding angry. “You bow, you scum! You are being so disrespectful!”

“No, he means no harm!” Yami cried, stepping forward to pry Shadi off of Seto, his heart threatening to explode out of his chest with fear and worry. “He doesn’t understand!”

“Oh, he understands!” Mahad said angrily, pointing his staff at the swirl of brown hair by Atem’s knees. “We know he understands. He chooses not to.”

Seto’s eyes were watering with strain as he stared at the tips of a pair of very white sandals with a golden tassel at the center. Yami was defending him, but no one was listening. His resounding voice was coming from above his head as the arguing increased.  
  
The owner of the white sandals was also wearing solid golden anklets.  
His skin was the color of melted chocolate.  
Seto could feel his back straining with effort, and his ears rang with alien sounds. Everyone from this country had skin as beautiful as Yami’s.

Everyone was still talking very quickly and Seto struggled to understand; what little Arabic he had learned over the past few months was now useless. He couldn’t understand a word anyone was saying.

“Come this way, Pharaoh,” Mahad said anxiously, gesturing for Atem to walk in front of him. “We have much to discuss.”

“Let him up first,” Yami replied firmly, seeing Seto’s shoulders shaking with effort. “Please give them nice rooms and a bath…we had a long flight.”

“We will, after I speak with him,” Shadi answered gravely, and Yami stood his ground, glancing for the first time at the two pilots standing apprehensively behind several guards.

“Come!!” Mana cried, tugging him towards the hallway, and Yami let himself be led forwards, throwing one last glance at Seto bowed forward on the ground before following Mana reluctantly.

Seto strained against the hand on his back, sweating profusely and feeling oddly vulnerable. He could hear his pilots whispering behind him, sounding frightened.

“Mr. Kaiba…are you alright? The man behind you looks quite angry.”

“Silence,” the man above him said deeply, still speaking in English. “You may stand now that the Pharaoh has left.”

The hand on Seto’s neck loosened, and he rose slowly to his feet, his pride chafing painfully.

He straightened up and looked the man who had been holding him down in the face.

He was tall, with cold blue eyes and very dark skin, and he was wearing white robes. A pair of enormous gold earrings hung from each of his ears, and Seto bit his tongue, resisting the urge to insult the man.

“Rules are as follows,” the man said coldly, and Kaiba watched as his two pilots were led to his side, looking very nervous.

“You will not look him in the eyes. You will bow every time he enters the room, and you will not touch food until he says you may,” the man continued, and the pilot on his left whispered nervously to his assistant,

“I can’t understand English…help me translate.”

“Shut up,” Kaiba said mindlessly, and the man shot him a glare before continuing.

“The Pharaoh has generously offered you a room to stay, but I do not welcome you, Seto Kaiba.”

Kaiba blinked and froze, realizing that this was a very hostile reception indeed.  
Was he in danger? Wait…where the hell had they taken Yami?!

He glanced around frantically, horrified to discover that the room had emptied, and only four men in dark robes remained with them.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you,” the man in the white robes said coldly. “I’ve heard nothing but bad things about you and your company. Once your plane fixes up, you will leave immediately.”

Kaiba slowly leveled his gaze at the man, his face heating up with anger and mild humiliation at the way he had been pushed to the ground.

“Where is Yami?” he asked heatedly, watching the man frown deeply at him. “Where have you taken him? He stays with me.”

“Who?” the man responded coldly, and waved him away with a dismissive hand. “Doesn’t matter. We will shuttle you to the palace now. Don’t cause us any trouble.”

And the men in dark robes converged around him, pushing him forward, forcing him to walk down a long hallway with many closed doors, and Seto’s stomach began to curl with unease.

What the fuck was happening?

* * *

**Author's note:**

Next week is going to be veeery busy for me cuz im going to visit my parents in californiaaaa ....(*deadpan voice* yaaaaayyy)  
  
As a bay area native, I'll be visiting some old haunts, along with the universities of Stanford and Berkeley to say hi to some old friends and professors so im not sure i will be able to update on time? I dont know.  
  
i mean, hopefully i can find some time to myself to edit/post something? I'll try, and will keep ya'll posted on tumblr/instagram.  
  
but if anyone is in SF or the bay area wants to grab some bubble tea?!?! please recommend some places?? I've been away for a while so idk what's up anymore!

(as always, thank you YLJE for your edits!)  
  
This chapter was dedicated to KURIDEE ...!! Dee, thank you for sending me this [awesome YGO BACKPACK](https://www.instagram.com/p/BnVcxw-nDut/?taken-by=ugli.fish) ayyyyeeee

hugs,  
Ugli


	33. brings

“What is happening, Mr. Kaiba?!” the assistant pilot whispered fearfully behind him, his voice almost lost over the shuffle of many footsteps echoing in the hallway.

“He said we weren’t welcome, but they’re taking us somewhere,” Kaiba answered automatically, pulling out his phone to check the GPS on Yami’s bracelets.

The doors were opened for them and harsh sunlight nearly blinded Kaiba when it hit his screen, and he winced, almost tripping again when the man behind him gave him another rough push towards the open door of a black limousine.

“I can walk, you don’t need to push me!” Kaiba hissed, whirling around to face the man, and fear shot through him like a shard of ice when he was met with a dark, emotionless stare.

“Yell at my men again, and I will strike out at you, regardless of your status,” the man in white robes said tightly, somewhere to his left. “Get in the car, Seto Kaiba.”

Kaiba grit his teeth and ducked into the car without a word, seeing his pilots slide into the seat beside him with their hands on their knees, looking deeply terrified.

They looked as scared as he felt, but he was more concerned with what they had done with Yami, and this asshole with a turban and earrings was being an enormous cockblock.

The GPS lit up on the map, and Kaiba stared intently at his phone, watching it zero in on a red dot, right where he was sitting. In this car.

A trickle of horror ran through him slowly as he gazed around at the four burly men, seeing the bulge of guns underneath their dark robes, and he stared fearfully at the white-robed man.

“Bracelets,” he said stiffly, his heart thudding painfully in his throat as he spoke English for the first time in a long time. “Where are they?”

“Ah, they were yours after all…” the man in the white robes sneered at him, and the car lurched forward terribly, causing Kaiba’s nausea to rise. “Here, you can have your cheap jewelry back.”

The man reached into the pocket of his robes to carelessly toss two golden bracelets at him from across the seats.

Seto caught them just barely by hooking his fingers through them as they fell, and he held onto them tightly, trying not to feel angry and frightened.

They had taken the bracelets off of Yami. Why? Why? Why? Oh fuck….

“Mr. Kaiba?” the pilot beside him said shrilly, pointing out the window. “Are we allowed here? I don’t have my papers! They’re in the plane!”

“It’s an embassy, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” his assistant mumbled weakly, and Kaiba swiveled his head around to stare out the window. The air left his lungs with every painful beat of his heart as he gazed up at an enormous structure with high stone walls and long, flat rooftops…a fort? An embassy? A military base?  
  
No, a palace.  
The man in the robes had said palace.

“Why are we here?” Kaiba demanded, gripping the bracelets tightly, his panic rising along with the bile in this stomach. Where the fuck was Yami? He was a slave in this palace, wasn’t he?! That was why he had preferred life on the streets as opposed to one in this palace?

“I’m tired of repeating myself,” the white-robed man said impatiently, tapping a tanned finger against his knee. “The Pharaoh has extended his generosity to you and your men. That is all I will say.”

“Well, I have a bone to pick with this Pharaoh,” Kaiba growled, his tongue curling easily around the English language the more he used it. “Get me a face to face. He owes me new windows for my plane.”

“Stop talking before I have one of my men shoot you,” the white-robed man answered coldly, and the car lurched over bumpy asphalt before coming to a solid stop. “Get out.”

Kaiba didn’t need to be told twice.

His pilots clambered out of the car before him, bowing hastily at the men in dark robes who had somehow multiplied. They were standing at attention along the side of a yellow stone path, each holding a pointed staff that looked like a weapon.

This explained Yami’s odd military-like behavior sometimes. He had probably learned it from these palace guards.

They walked through a tall stone arch, and was greeted by the sight of a large, ornate fountain. A bearded man was carved standing in the middle with his hands outstretched, and water spouted from his palms into the wide basin below.

“Before you enter, you must bow to the Pharaoh’s late father **,** King Aknamkanon,” the white-robed man commanded. “Down on one knee, now.”

Kaiba swallowed stiffly and watched all the men kneel and bow their heads.

Fine. Fine. What the fuck ever. Then he would break away from this freak show, find Yami, and get the fuck out of this cult.

He knelt quickly and bowed his head visibly, his pilots following suit beside him, and he could feel the robed man’s eyes on his back. Was this good enough?!

“Now stand, and we will show you to your rooms,” Shadi said emptily, waving at the bodyguards behind them. “I have matters to discuss with the Pharaoh.”

Kaiba clenched his fists tightly at his sides, watching the man walk away with his head held high, flanked by two bodyguards.

The remaining two nodded politely at them, and led them into the palace, walking so quickly, Kaiba had trouble keeping up, and he could hear his two pilots panting beside him, both still looking pale and scared.

He barely had time to take in his surroundings, because they were led through a maze of hallways and sitting rooms. The ground sparkled with an odd texture, and the walls were heavily decorated with intricate tapestry. Satin curtains hung beside large windows, and heavy purple cushions sat on ornate, golden furniture.  
  
Statues, there were statues everywhere…of Egyptian gods, anonymous busts, and women.

Kaiba caught the gaze of a few servants, stopping in their motions to stare at him with their arms full of baskets or large swaths of fabric. These servants were all wearing grey robes.

He was beginning to understand the color hierarchy now. Dark colored robes were worn by security and bodyguards. White, was royalty, or close to royalty…right?

They were led down another wide hallway, and a heavy door was pushed open by the two guards in front of him, revealing yet another hallway.

They continued down towards two doors at the end, pointing inside and speaking Arabic softly.

“Thanks, we got it,” Kaiba replied in terrible accented Arabic. He didn’t have the energy to understand what they were saying, but the surprised looks he got from the guards were more than enough to make him feel satisfied.

Even his pilots were gaping at him strangely.

“You know how to speak so many languages, Mr. Kaiba,” the assistant pilot gasped incredulously. “C-Can we all stay in the same room? I’m a bit…”

And Kaiba ignored him, striding into the room directly in front of him and closing the heavy door behind him, trying his best not to panic.

He paced the room nervously, pulling the bracelets out of his pocket and weighing them in his hand. Shit. Shit…he had lost Yami in this fucking enormous palace.

Window.

Kaiba strode over to the window and threw the heavy curtains aside, startled to find that there were silver bars mounted over the glass.

He curled his fingers around the cold metal, giving it a vicious shake, and his forearm ached. Stone and metal. This place was a fortress. How the hell did Yami escape from here?! He must’ve been a magician of sorts!

His stomach curling, Kaiba peered down from the window, realizing with a jolt that they had somehow gone up five stories without walking up any stairs.

The labyrinth of hallways must have ascended so steadily, he didn’t even notice.  
Shit….

Yami was definitely smarter than him if he had managed to escape from a place like this….

Reaching for his phone, Kaiba clicked it on, irritated to see that he had no service.

Everything around them was stone and metal, of course there was no service. And they were in the middle of Nowhere, Egypt. Fuck.

He glanced around the room, taking in the large sheer canopy hanging above a king-sized bed, a large dressing table, another purple velvet lounge, a door which presumably led into the bathroom, and no screens on any of the walls. Instead, the walls were covered with traditional paintings, and Kaiba glared at them viciously, not understanding what he was seeing.

Was this a guest room or a prison hold?

He walked to the door and tried to pull it open, but his shoulder almost popped out with strain and he realized that the door was locked.

That couldn't be right.

Kaiba tried again, putting all his weight into the metal door handle, tugging, pushing and pulling the door every which way, but it didn’t budge.

Shit.

Growing cold with fear, Kaiba now had a tiny inkling of how Yami had felt when they had locked him in his room.

He circled the room methodically, opening all the drawers and upturning the chairs and cushions, looking for a travel brochure, a bible, anything, anything that could tell him where he was.

Nothing.

Well, shit.

Kaiba bent down carefully, peering under the bed and using his phone as a flashlight, seeing not even a speck of dust on the floor, his worst fears confirmed.  
  
This wasn’t a guest room.  
This room was a prison hold.  
There were bars on the windows, and the bare necessities like the bed and bathroom were dressed up to look fancy to fool a stupid man.

He was in trouble, and Yami was in trouble.

Kaiba glanced around at the mess he had made of the room, and decided to clean up, but first, he powered off his phone to conserve battery, because who knew the next time he would ever come across an outlet?

He began to tidy up, thinking he would hide any sign of his distress by keeping the room clean.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Kaiba tensed, sitting up straight on the lounge and watching the door creak open softly.

A young woman ducked her head down and stepped into the room, speaking so quietly, Kaiba strained to hear her.

“Please…the Pharaoh asks….allow….bathe….”

 _What the fuck is she saying?!_ Kaiba’s head spun with a mixture of anger and confusion. He could use his phone as a translator, but he needed to save precious battery power.  
He had only managed to understand a few words out of her entire sentence, and he wasn’t even sure he had heard her correctly.

She set two white towels on the bed and pointed at the bathroom before leaving quickly and closing the door behind her. There was a long silence. He listened for the lock to click but there was nothing, so he rushed at the door, trying to pull it open again, but he realized with a deep horror that the door locked from the outside.

He had basically locked himself in this room by walking in here of his own will.

The only way he could leave was if he caught the door while someone was coming in or leaving.

Shit, fucking shit.

He glared so hard at the white towels on the bed, his eyes watered.

He now fully understood why Yami had been so scared when he first came to his house.  
And now, it was like everything had completely flipped.  
  
What happened after he bathed?

Fuck it.  
If he was being asked to bathe, he would, for the sake of getting the fuck out of here the second an opportunity presented itself.

* * *

The sun was setting and the orange light was filtering in through the tall glass windows, shining in solid strips across the floor.  
  
Atem glanced nervously around the table, hoping that the meeting would end soon, because all he could think of was Seto, alone in the guest rooms, but knowing Shadi, he had probably placed Seto in the prison hold.

“You’ve all seen him here now,” Mahad said deeply, addressing the table at large and nodding at Atem, who had his head propped up on one hand, gazing out the window, clearly not paying attention.

“Realign yourselves, because a new era is starting,” Mahad finished, and a light round of applause echoed around the table, snapping Atem out of his thoughts.

Atem smiled nervously and rose to his feet silently, unsure of how to feel.

He didn’t want the responsibility of the throne. What’s more, this session had taught him that Akhenaden had really made horrible deals with foreign companies that did bankrupt them for some time.

The dissent was understandable, and he wasn’t expecting or asking for loyalty.

The room cleared slowly and Set approached him carefully, smiling tightly.

“It was a rough welcome, and harsh news,” his priest said solemnly, and Mahad nodded in agreement. “But we will follow you, Pharaoh.”

The door to the room swung open again and Mana rushed in, her eyes bright with excitement. “You must be hungry! Come, the table is set!”

“The guests?” Atem asked automatically, and a heavy silence blanketed the room for a brief moment before Mahad answered him carefully.

“Shadi will have food brought to their rooms, but you want to…invite them to the dine with us?”

“Yes!” Atem replied, almost angrily. “You may not like him very much, but Seto Kaiba and his men can help us greatly!”

“We understand,” Set said hastily, and he strode across the room to the door. “I will fetch all three Japanese men and bring them to our table. Is that what you want, Pharaoh?”

“Yes,” Atem said firmly, folding his arms across his chest, and his jewelry dug painfully into his skin. He wasn’t accustomed to this at all….  
  
“And repair the windows on the plane. Call someone to have it done by tonight,” Atem added nervously, and Mahad nodded, hurrying off after Set, leaving him alone in the room with Mana.

“Pharaoh,” Mana fidgeted nervously, her cheeks blushed a pretty pink. “I must tell you that Shadi housed the men in the prison hold. Please don’t be angry.”

“I am aware,” Atem answered automatically, his worst fears confirmed. Shadi was cautious and distrustful. Very useful traits when dealing with foreign contacts, but very ineffective when dealing with Seto Kaiba, who was equally as cautious and distrustful, if not more.

“W-Well then,” Mana smiled warmly and grabbed him by the hand, leading him out of the meeting room, “let’s get dressed for dinner! It’s been a while since I’ve done this!”

“Right…” Atem said hollowly, feeling slightly dizzy. This should be fine. The prison hold wasn’t uncomfortable…but he was concerned with how Seto would react when he sat down at the dinner table across from him.

* * *

Kaiba was staring out the window with the damp towel draped over his shoulders, watching the sliver of sun disappear over the flat land. There were barely any buildings around them. How the hell did Yami get away?

They were also surrounded by water, which Kaiba assumed was a moat of sorts. He couldn’t see much from the tiny vantage point of his window.

There was a loud knock at the door and Kaiba kept his gaze fixed out the window, deciding to ignore the maid. He couldn't understand her anyway, so why try?

But this time, he heard a man’s voice instead, and he turned around quickly, shocked to see a mirror-image of himself.

This man had clear blue eyes, tanned skin and light brown hair, almost the same exact shade as his own, except this man seemed taller because he was wearing a headdress and traditional robes.

He was carrying a sharp golden rod in his hand that ended in a threatening point, and Kaiba’s gaze kept slipping down towards it, wondering if he was about to be stabbed.

Everyone had a twin somewhere in the world, right? So this guy…was his spitting image, only with darker skin.

It was uncanny, and Kaiba looked away uncomfortably.

The man spoke and gestured for him to follow. Kaiba grit his teeth nervously and tossed the towel aside before striding out the door, wondering if he ought to make a run for it, but decided against it when he saw how many other long hallways were connected to the one they were currently standing in.

He would be caught in this maze and thrown back into this room again, with nothing and nobody in his favor. He should play it safe for now and conform as much as possible without raising suspicion…and then, run.

If anything, Yami’s behavior now made sense…too much sense.

The man led him down another steep hallway, and Kaiba made a note of this, trying desperately to remember each location by which tapestry was on which wall, but it was becoming futile because all the gold, red, and violet furnishings blended together.  
It all looked the fucking same!

Each hallway began and ended with a pair of statues, and sometimes, the statues repeated. Every sitting area had the same or similar furniture.  
Not a single servant or maid was in sight.

How the hell did you find your way through this place?!

They approached a tall door, and the man opened it for him, allowing him to step through first, and Kaiba held his breath, gazing around the spacious room, taking in the lavishly set table, the golden statues flanking each stained-glass window.

His two pilots were seated in the tall, plush chairs, looking at him apprehensively, their eyes wide with fear.

So, those two were let out of their rooms before he was? He was the last one in this room! What the fucking hell.

“You are our guest of honor,” the man with the turban and earrings said in fluent English, addressing him from the far end of the room, his face twisted in great displeasure. “You will sit directly across from the Pharaoh.”

Kaiba nodded stiffly and moved towards the chair directly in front of him, fully aware that all eyes in the room were on him, and sorely missed his long, flowing trench coat.

He had been wearing nothing but his tight black turtleneck paired with dark pants. Where was his intimidating clothing when he needed it the most?

The chair had been pulled out for him, so he moved to sit, but heard an angry hiss echoing from the man with a dark ponytail beside him.

“You do not sit,” the man said angrily, gesturing for his two pilots to stand as well. “We wait for the Pharaoh to enter, and then we sit…if he allows it.”

His two pilots stiffened and sat up straighter, exchanging fearful looks, not understanding at all.

“He says, stand until the king enters,” Kaiba translated tersely, watching his pilots spring to their feet and bow apologetically to everyone in sight.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba stood nervously beside his chair, folding his arms across his chest, carefully observing his surroundings.  
  
A tall throne-like chair at the head of the table was empty, presumably for the king. Beside it on its right, was the young girl with brown hair and large breasts.  
Fresh henna covered her bare arms that wasn’t there from before, and Kaiba resisted the urge to continue glaring at her.  
She was the pharaoh’s wife, right?  
  
Then what the hell was she doing, hugging Yami earlier?  
Or was it because Yami was a well-loved servant in the king’s quarters?

The way he had completed chores in the mansion with Isono was probably something Yami had wanted to continue doing, out of habit.

Standing on the left, was the man who had led him out of the room. The tall hat he was wearing made him look ridiculous, and Kaiba bit back a rueful snort.

Beside him, was the asshole with the turban, and across from him was another woman with sleek black hair, plaited into two neat braids that hung down just past her shoulders.

Kaiba realized with a jolt that the table was gender separated. Women were standing on the right, and men on the left.

There were a few other strange faces, but Kaiba didn’t have time to inspect them, because the sound of a heavy door opening echoed in the room, and everyone straightened up respectfully.

The man with earrings spoke directly at him again coldly, “We bow, he blesses us and the food, then we sit according to status. You and Pharaoh Atem, are seated last.”

“Whatever,” Kaiba answered smoothly, pleased that his grasp on the English language was still somewhat proficient.

“What is he saying, Mr. Kaiba?” the assistant pilot whispered fervently, wringing his hands in front of him nervously, so frightened, he looked as if he was about to wet himself.

Kaiba opened his mouth to answer, but his voice caught in his throat the second he saw Yami walk into the room, flanked by two armed guards in dark robes trailing respectfully behind him.

He was wearing…something amazing. Kaiba couldn't put his feelings into words as he stared, his heart thudding tightly in his throat, steadily choking the air out of him.

Yami’s spiky tri-colored hair had been fixed to perfection, and a golden crown sat regally on his head, blending in magnificently with the yellow spikes in his hair. Dark kohl lined his angular violet eyes, and around his neck glittered a collar inlaid with a mirage of precious stones.

And gold. A lot of gold…. Golden bands hugged his neck and arms, which were also intricately decorated with henna, and Kaiba grit his teeth, his blood running cold as he looked between Yami and the girl with matching henna on the right side of the table.  
  
Oh god…no….

Swallowing his dread, Kaiba fixated on the beautiful purple cloak that was wrapped elegantly around Yami’s shoulders, and he seemed to move with ease wearing all this finery. That was what unnerved him the most.

His robes were white, with a matching golden band around his waist…and that was all Seto could see before people bowed their heads down deeply.

Frozen in shock, Seto didn’t move or bow.

He and Yami stayed standing at opposite sides of the long dining table, staring resolutely at each other while everyone straightened up again.

The room tilted violently and seemed to be drifting away from his vision, further and further like it was an illusion, or maybe he was living in a surreal dream, but either way, it was like he had fallen through a portal and was living in a fantasy land where Yami was the king, and he was sitting at the table where his subjects were bowing to him before a meal.

Atem gazed directly across the long table, meeting Seto’s shocked blue-eyed stare.

He didn’t see any disgust…so that was a good start….

He gave Seto a slight nod, feeling too nervous to smile, and he watched Seto respond by blinking rapidly at him, clearly trying to process what he was seeing.

Everyone at the table quieted and Atem felt all eyes on him.

“Please, sit,” he said, as warmly as he could, nodding at Mana, and Mana beamed at him, tucking her hair behind her ear and sitting down happily.

Kaiba watched the girl smile at Yami, and his stomach curled. Wonderful.  
This was great. He felt horrible, like a hot iron knife had been shoved into his chest, and an invisible hand just kept stabbing at him in the same spot, making it more and more painful for him to remain standing as every single royal official took their seat before him.

“After you,” Yami said nervously, nodding at Seto’s chair, and he watched Seto’s eyes narrow at him before he took his seat.

Finally, Yami sat down and gazed at the odd sight before him.

His own people…and then at the far end, the two pilots, and Seto Kaiba, sitting directly across from him, occupying the seat that had been his for many years when his father had been pharaoh.

What a strange turn of events.

Kaiba’s stomach churned with nausea, and his head spun with a mixture of confusion and anger, wondering if he should be more concerned with the man on Yami’s left.

 _Wait_. Kaiba paused, feeling oddly dizzy as many servants entered the room and began placing bowls of soup in front of everyone. Baskets of bread, dipping sauces and plates of diced vegetables were arranged in neat groups in front of every person.

The man to Yami’s left, was actually on Yami’s right-hand side. The table was flipped. He was looking at it all wrong! That meant, the man with the brown hair and blue eyes was literally…Yami’s right-hand man.

Who the fuck was he?!

A hot rush of jealousy reared its ugly head inside his chest as he glanced between the pretty girl on Yami’s left and his odd body double on Yami’s right.

The warm scent of artichokes rose up from the bowl beneath him, and Kaiba glanced disdainfully down at it, not hungry at all.

He watched as everyone at the table bowed their heads, and Yami spoke deeply, clearly “blessing the food”.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and caught a sharp glare from the man with earrings, and he hastily lowered his head to avoid being shot by the guards standing on either side of Yami’s chair.

Everyone raised their heads and dutifully began eating. His two pilots glanced frantically around the table, wondering if there was also a hierarchy as to who could touch the food first.

Yami felt himself sweat as he watched Kaiba’s eyes roam around the table, darting between Mana on his left, and Set on his right. He was fully aware of what Seto was thinking, and it made his heart sink to his feet.  
  
Seto was probably thinking that Mana was his wife, and that Set was his main advisor…which he was….

“Pharaoh, are you not hungry?” Mana asked politely, pointing at the lentil soup in front of him. “Your favorite!”

Kaiba understood this, and he focused on the fragrant artichoke soup in front of him _._  
  
“Your favorite,” she had said.  
  
This?! This was Yami’s favorite?

He looked up to see Yami dipping his spoon into a soup that was a completely different color, and he realized that Yami was eating something different!

What the fuck!  
This was a shitty monarchy.

“Someone tell the foreigners to eat,” Set said with an amused smile on his face. “All three are staring at us strangely.”

“You may feast now, Seto Kaiba,” Shadi said gruffly, glaring at Kaiba and nodding at the soup. “You can tell your men they may eat as well.”

Kaiba glanced at his white-faced pilots and translated, “He said we are unwelcome, so we should starve.”

Yami burned his tongue on his soup and almost choked.

He swallowed painfully, his eyes watering with mirth as he spoke,  “Seto, don’t lie to them like that.”

“He speaks Japanese!” the pilot cried with intense relief, craning his head forward and bobbing his head excitedly. “Thank you! I thought I heard you speak on the plane, but I wasn’t sure!”

“He speaks really well,” the assistant pilot mumbled, his mouth full of bread. “He told us to land here.”

“Did he?!” The pilot rounded on his assistant, his eyes wide with surprise. “I thought that order came from Mr. Kaiba. It makes sense now.”

“Yes, thank you for landing here,” Yami replied earnestly, fully aware that everyone at the table except for Seto couldn't understand them. “Your windows will be fixed by tomorrow!”

“That quick! Thank you so much,” the pilot exclaimed happily, his anxiety clearly melting away after hearing his own language come out of the strange spiky-haired figure at the head of the table.

Kaiba grit his teeth, his head spinning with rage. Tomorrow? Did that mean...he was headed back to Japan tomorrow, without Yami?

He caught a similar look of rage on the turbaned man’s face, and they had a brief staring contest before Shadi blinked first.

Yami could feel the tension between Shadi and Seto, so he addressed Shadi directly.

“Please don’t worry. I was telling them about the windows on their plane,” he said quickly, feeling Seto’s eyes on his face, causing his skin to burn. “They are the pilots of the aircraft.”

“The great businessman Seto Kaiba only travels with his pilots and no protection?” Set asked incredulously. “Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”

“Yes…” Yami said as he bit his lip, knowing that Seto had not planned this trip amidst his rage, and hadn’t even intended to land in Egypt. Well, that plan had backfired horribly….

Kaiba heard his name in the conversation, and he wanted to lunge across the table and choke the living daylight out of his look-alike.

Servants entered the room again and changed the plates in front of them. An arm reached under his chin and took away his untouched soup.

Yami watched the servant lift the full bowl of soup away from Seto’s face, and he understood that Seto was anxious…and angry…at him.

“Please eat something,” Yami said, looking imploringly at Seto from across the table. “You won’t have any food until tomorrow morning, and I can’t bring you anything later. You’ll be hungry.”

Another plate of steaming food was set in front of him, and Kaiba glared viciously at Yami, wondering why he was still talking to him as if they were sitting at home, even though they were obviously so far apart.

“Wow, Mr. Kaiba, he treats you like a good friend,” the assistant pilot said at his elbow, echoing his innermost thoughts. “You two are good friends, aren’t you? I saw you ki—” he stopped talking and turned red, lowering his head in embarrassment.

“You saw him…what?” the pilot asked lightly, wiping his mouth quickly with a cloth napkin, and his assistant shook his head fearfully, his eyes wide with panic.

“Pharaoh, you’ve learned their language!” Rishid spoke up for the first time, sounding awestruck. “You’ve been gone for three years! Is that where you’ve been? Japan?”

“No,” Yami answered darkly, setting his spoon down, no longer hungry. “…Akhenaden tried to have me killed. He hired rebels to kidnap me and flew me overseas illegally.”

The table fell deathly silent, waiting for him to continue speaking, and Yami blinked nervously, making eye contact with Marik and Ishizu for the first time during their meal.

“I tried calling you first from the satellite phone in the Kaiba residence,” Yami said steadily, trying his best not to sound accusatory. He wasn’t angry at all, and he didn’t want to come off that way. Every single one of his actions were overanalyzed by everyone, and that was extremely tiring.

“Our lives were threatened as well,” Ishizu said solemnly. “I apologize for not being there for you, Pharaoh.”

“Don’t apologize,” Yami replied firmly, and another plate of food slid across his view, and he watched the servant lift another full plate of food away from Kaiba’s face.

“Honestly, Seto, please eat, or you will starve tonight,” Yami said angrily, and Set at his side spoke up curiously, “His name is…Seto. How strange.”

“I hate, that guy,” Kaiba said viciously through clenched teeth, pointing at Set, and seeing Yami’s shoulders tense visibly. “Who is he, and why does he look exactly like me? Am I his replacement?”

“Kaiba…please.” Yami lowered his voice dangerously, fully aware that Set could partially understand some of what was being said.

Shadi and Set had been studying up on the Japanese language moments before this dinner, learning basic words like “hate” and “love”.

“I will not sit here and take insults from this man,” Set declared, rising to his feet and placing his palms down on the table, glaring at Seto. “I can understand a rude tone in any language.”

“Oh, you can understand me? Great!” Kaiba jeered, also rising to his feet, catching only two words from the man’s mouth: “insults” and “rude”.

“Sit…down! Mr. Kaiba…!” his pilot hissed at his side, and Yami froze, wondering what was happening. Was Set really picking a fight with Seto…right now in front of everyone?!

“We’ve analyzed the recordings of the calls made from your house,” Set said angrily in English, pointing the millennium rod accusingly at Kaiba, “It is your shouting we heard in the background. Given the way you treat the Pharaoh, we have no reason to believe—"

“Oh shut up and have some dignity,” Kaiba interrupted nastily, glad that he finally had an opportunity to throw insults in English. “Take that ridiculous hat off your head and look at yourself in the mirror. You call yourself a man?”

Mouths dropped open at the table and Atem palmed his face in agony, his shoulders shaking with repressed laughter.

Set was defending the Pharaoh’s name, and Seto was throwing personal insults. It was…hilarious.

“What are they saying?” Mana asked shrilly, glancing nervously between the two men who shared a heavy resemblance to each other. “Are they fighting?!”

“They are arguing, poorly,” Shadi explained seriously, folding his arms and sitting back in his chair to watch the spectacle. “Set is currently losing.”

“How dare you say that!” Set rounded on Shadi, hearing snickers from around the table from Rishid and Marik. “He insulted my hat!”

“Retaliate by saying we will keep him in the prison hold forever,” Shadi replied calmly, and Set turned to Kaiba, half-shouting, “We’ll keep you locked in your room for the rest of the year! How dare you speak to me like that!”

“You need another man to finish the fight for you,” Kaiba taunted, going numb with anger and frustration. “Lock me in the room for all I care. You’re still ugly.”

He needed time alone with Yami. How did he make that happen?

“How…dare…” Set sputtered, gazing down at Atem for help. “Make him stop!”

Ah…that was how.

“Stop fighting,” Atem said mildly, and he said something different in Japanese, knowing that Seto was the only one who could understand him, “Keep it up, and they will insist we have a private meeting.”

Kaiba curled his fingers into his palm, understanding that Yami couldn't speak openly at this table.

The food had stopped coming, and the servants stood a safe distance away from the table, also observing the argument.

“I’ll insult each and every one of you until you let us leave,” Kaiba declared, hearing his pilots gasp in unison, horrified.

“Don’t! He doesn’t mean it!” the assistant pilot cried, leaping to his feet and bowing down low, and the other pilot also leapt to his feet, following suit, his hair almost touching the bowl on the table as he bent forward in a deep bow.

Atem watched with increasing trepidation as the two men bowed, and Shadi rose to his feet too, thoroughly irritated.

“Pharaoh, this is getting tiresome. Do the meeting you wanted so we can send him and his men away, sooner rather than later.”

“Yes, yes, please,” Mana echoed, looking slightly afraid. “He’s not quite so handsome when he’s shouting.”

“Very well,” Atem said carefully, also standing, and Set stayed by his side, fuming. “I will discuss matters with him in my quarters. Clear the adjacent rooms and hallways. I know this man well, and that is what I will need.”

“Why must we clear the whole wing for you to discuss matters with him?” Ishizu asked coldly, glaring at Kaiba with extreme distrust. “What if something were to happen to you?”

“It would have already happened,” Atem answered firmly, catching a confused glance from Kaiba. “We’ve gotten to know each other quite well. He means no harm.”

“He was shouting at you!” Set cried, gripping the rod tightly in his hands so hard, they began to sweat. “I heard it. We all heard it. He sounds violent!”

“Are you sure that wasn’t the television you heard?” Atem said calmly, thinking it had never been so easy to lie to Set before. “We’re great friends. The two pilots can confirm.”

There was an uneasy silence at the table before Atem nodded at Kaiba and gestured for him to follow.

Kaiba wasted no time and circled the table, striding to the door where Yami was pointing, and Yami’s eyes widened at him, speaking quickly, “Walk behind me, or they’ll hurt you. Follow from afar.”

Pausing in his step, Kaiba let the two armed guards brush past him, escorting Yami between them through the door before he followed them cautiously, feeling the heat from the stares behind him melting the skin off his back.

What the fuck was this place? And who was Yami to these people?!

Shoving his doubts aside, Kaiba dutifully followed at a distance, his mind racing with a thousand questions.

* * *

**Author’s note:**

Kaiba realizing he’s in deep shit.

I drink [Ko-fi!](https://ko-fi.com/A6121Y2G) <3  
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School is starting for me again, wish me luck!

Thank you YLJE for your edits!  
  
hugs,  
Ugli


	34. me

Seto kept staring at the golden anklets hugging Yami’s tanned legs while they made their way through the palace, trying to wrap his head around everything he had just learned.

Yami was a king.  
  
These golden anklets were the ones he had seen when he had been pushed to the ground by the turbaned man.

Yami was… _the_ king!

He couldn't tear his eyes away from the purple cloak draped elegantly across Yami’s slender shoulders.

Was Yami even his real name?!

Another wave of uncertainty and irritation washed over Seto when he realized Yami’s secrets were never-ending. Just when he thought he had Yami figured out, another obstacle was thrown in his face.

They stopped at the entrance of his private quarters and Atem waved the guards away before they could settle into their protective stances by the door.

Seto watched Yami push the door open and followed him in quickly, gazing around at the spacious room. Several long lounges were grouped together around low tables next to ornate shisha pipes, and Kaiba stared at them, his mind racing with more questions.

Did Yami…smoke?! What the hell else was he going to discover while he was here?

“Seto…”

Kaiba jerked his head up at the sound of Yami calling his name, and saw the swish of a purple cloak disappearing into another room at the far back.

He hurried after him, his apprehension morphing into a solid knot of anger in his stomach.

Atem stood nervously in the center of his room, gazing out the window, unsure if he had the courage to face Seto. He heard soft footsteps behind him and the echoing click of the door shutting, and he stood his ground, continuing to gaze out the window at the dark night sky.

How did he want to do this? The silence was getting heavy.

Seto tried to keep his breathing even and steady as he stared at the back of Yami’s spiky hair, seeing the ends of his gold crown gleaming in the low light. He tore his gaze away and surveyed the room apprehensively, letting the silence grow heavier.

A large bed sat against one wall, with a sheer canopy hanging above it along with thick, roped tassels. An ornate dresser stood opposite to the bed, and a tall mirror was propped up on its surface, its rounded edges decorated with intricately carved mother of pearl.  
Everything glowed.  
Even the walls had a sheer coat of something glossy, and soft, rounded lights had been placed on various surfaces, these orbs giving the room an odd, surreal glow.  
__  
Wow, just wow, Seto thought bitterly, fixating on the rounded light sitting on a low table in the center of the room.  
  
Soft poofs of cushions were stacked beside it, and the edge of a tea tray poked out from beneath the table. 

Yami turned to face him slowly, wearing an eerily confident smile, and Seto grit his teeth, his anxiety rising steadily.

“We’ve never been formally introduced,” Yami said smoothly. “My name is Atem.”

Seto blinked, wavering slightly on the spot, feeling somewhat faint.  
What. The fuck. Was happening.

“I think a partnership would greatly benefit us,” Atem continued quietly, folding his toned arms across his chest, and a million questions raced through Seto’s mind again.  
  
Was it Yami, or Atem?! Which was it?!  
  
Yami/Atem had finally said the words he wanted to hear: a partnership!

But, why…did it sound so strange?

“What do you think, Kaiba?” Atem asked earnestly, his heart pounding nervously in his chest as he watched Seto’s expression slowly grow blank.

Oh no. He recognized this expression. This was Seto retreating into his own mind.  
Had he spoken that badly?  
But this was the right way to fix things, Atem was sure, because if Seto didn’t want him as a sexual plaything, he resolved he would resolutely stay by Seto’s side…as a business partner.

“A partnership,” Seto repeated numbly, his knees going weak. He needed to sit down before he collapsed.  
He moved towards the bed and leaned against one of the bed posts, feeling a headache coming on strong around his temples.

“Yes,” Atem said warmly, trying to stem his uncertainties as he barreled forward with the speech he had mentally prepared throughout the whole dinner. “My uncle bankrupted my family for a short while, and everyone is looking to me for guidance. I can offer you land, and in return…”

Kaiba stopped listening. He couldn't focus on anything other than the tiny golden tassel hanging off the top of Atem’s white sandals.

He had heard enough. The words ‘bankrupt’ and ‘in return’ caused a tight bubble of rage to burn in his throat, and he realized that Atem…no, _Yami_ , was still treating their relationship as a give-and-take.  
  
It was a horrible realization, coupled with a horrible feeling.

This new personality he had adopted… _Atem_ , or whoever the fuck this was, wasn’t real, because only he knew the real Yami.

The real Yami was bratty, pouty, lewd, and demanding.

This person standing before him, dressed in all this finery…he wasn’t real.  
He wasn’t Yami.

“Seto?” Atem said hesitantly, watching the tall businessman gingerly sit down against the edge of his bed, his head hanging low, so low that his brown bangs obscured his eyes.

“Who are you?” Seto asked softly, almost choking on his own voice, and he curled his fingers into his palm. He wanted to explode. There were too many questions burning inside of him and he wasn’t sure where to start.

“I’m…me,” Atem said plainly, catching a dark glare from Seto, and he paused before adding. “Yami was the name I chose when I left this place.”

“And what is _this place?_ ” Seto hissed, unable to look Atem in the eye as his stomach churned with unease.

“My kingdom,” Atem answered solemnly, carefully taking a step closer toward Seto and seeing him tense visibly. “Regardless of what Shadi has said, my home is your home. Just like how you’ve done for me—”

“So it’s all just a fun little exchange for you,” Seto interrupted, feeling deeply misunderstood. “I refuse your offer. All of it.”

Damn. He had hoped that ‘partnership’ was another euphemism for ‘lovers’, but it was evident here that Yami…no, Atem, was keen on a _business_ partnership, and not a romantic one.

“A fun little exchange?” Atem repeated, his confusion rising.  
No, it wasn’t an exchange…! He was returning the kindness Seto had shown him when he had arrived in Japan. Wasn’t that…what…Seto wanted?

He watched Seto fold his arms across his chest, the way he often did when he felt intimidated, and Atem spoke carefully again, fully aware that his next words could set off another full-blown fight between them.

“You don’t like the way I am now?”

Seto narrowed his eyes at the golden crown sitting atop Atem’s fiery hair, unsure of how to answer that question.

There was a long, thick silence, and Atem began to sweat nervously. He took a step closer towards the bed, secretly thankful that Seto didn’t flinch or back away, which meant he wasn’t affected by his new appearance.  
  
Seto was still angry with him for leaving the mansion.

This could be fixed, but he had to be clever about it.

“Let’s start over, Seto,” Atem offered tentatively, and he boldly sat beside him on the bed, feeling the hard edge of the mattress against the small of his back.  
  
Seto didn’t move or react. His head was still lowered, his face unreadable.

“Yami…is grateful for all that you did for him,” Atem continued, his heart racing thickly in his throat when he saw Seto’s fingertips twitch, “And Atem would like to thank you for it.

Seto’s mind went blank for a moment, his body growing hot and cold at the same time. What?

There was another long, heavy silence, and Seto raised his head to stare at the large, gold earrings hanging from Yami’s ear, his heart tightening in his chest.  
  
Atem.  
His name was Atem.

Seto opened his mouth, attempting to say the name, but found that his voice was still stuck in his throat. The henna on Atem’s skin glistened teasingly back at him, and he caught a light whiff of his exotic scent, causing his stomach to twist with arousal.  
  
There was a soft knock at the door.

Seto tensed, also feeling Atem tense beside him, and his dread rose quickly.

Atem frowned and moved to answer the door, thinking he had asked everyone to clear the wing, so the only person who would blatantly disobey was….

“Set,” Atem said nervously, pulling the door back a slight crack, and his priest peered anxiously into the room past his shoulder.

“Pharaoh, I’ve come to see if you are doing well,” Set said loudly, seeing the imposter of himself sitting on the king’s bed, and he grit his teeth as a surge of anger rose swiftly.

Seto glared coldly at the man through the door crack, fully aware that he could be seen, and he resisted the urge to give him the finger.

“I said to clear the hallways, and that includes you,” Atem hissed, gripping the door handle, attempting to keep himself composed. “Leave.”  
Switching between Arabic and Japanese was getting tiresome.  
Having to explain himself to everyone was getting tiresome.  
Was it so hard to just have a moment alone with Seto?

“But…my prince—my king—”

“Set, he is not dangerous.” Atem could feel Seto’s gaze on his back and it was making him sweat.

“He is sitting…on your _bed_ ,” Set growled, placing a palm on the door, thinking he should force his way in and stab the foreigner in the chest with the millennium rod.

No one touched the king’s bed! And that man was just sitting…sitting casually on it!

“And that is normal,” Atem lied, feeling himself shake with anger and trepidation. He wasn’t about to let his nosy priest ruin this…! Seto was on his bed willingly, which was more than he could ever hope for in this tense situation.

“It is indecent,” Set whispered hoarsely, his cheeks burning with humiliation as he watched the foreigner smirk at him in the semi-darkness. “And I know you’re against following certain traditions, Atem, but—"

“I will conduct the negotiations however I want,” Atem replied indignantly, beginning to close the door. “If I need his help, I will do what I can to make him comfortable. He has helped me immensely during my stay in Japan.”

“But he’s not your _wife,_ or even a close friend!” Set protested angrily, losing all his composure. “You shouldn’t allow him to sit there!”

“Please leave,” Atem said coldly, and he shut the door with a resounding click before pausing for a moment, hearing a soft rustle on the other side, and shouted, “I can hear you…leave!”

Seto jumped, unaccustomed to hearing Yami raise his voice, and he wondered what had made him angry. He had only caught some parts of the conversation, but not enough to understand what the problem was, although he did catch the word “wife” in an accusatory tone, sounding slightly jealous.

“Never mind him,” Atem cried anxiously, rushing towards Seto and placing his hands down on his knees, gazing imploringly into his face. “Did you understand any of that?”

Seto blinked rapidly as the heat from Atem’s hands began soaking dangerously quick through the fabric of his pants, and he shook his head tightly, managing to ask the question he had been dying to know the answer to since he had arrived.

“You’re married?”

“No!” Atem insisted, shaking his beautiful head firmly, his fingers tightening over Seto’s knees. “Mana is not my wife. She is more like a sister to me, and Set is my cousin!”

“Who…what?” Seto frowned, his ears ringing with a strange noise, and he dared to feel slightly happy.  
He didn’t know which names belonged to which faces, but it seemed that Atem was surrounded…by family.

“I thought you said you didn’t have any family,” he growled, and Atem swiftly retaliated with, “No direct family. I was the only child.”

“Right,” Seto breathed, no longer interested. The cloak around Atem’s shoulders draped lightly over the edge of the bed, and his golden earrings swung magnificently, almost touching his shoulders…it was all…too much.

Atem stared into Seto’s face, watching his clear blue eyes roam over his body, taking in all of his finery, and he gave Seto’s knees another encouraging squeeze. “Say ‘yes’, and that you agree!”

 _Say ‘yes’ to what?_ Seto wondered faintly, his mouth going dry as he continued to gaze at Atem, taking in the sparkling golden collar, the elegant armbands and rings that adorned his beautifully tanned hand.

He spied the familiar silver engagement ring stacked amongst all the others, and a strange feeling curled low in his stomach.  
  
Atem had…discarded the diamond bracelets, but kept the cheap silver ring they had bought together on the cruise ship.

Frustrated with the silent treatment, Atem gave Seto’s shoulders a rough push, pleased to see him fall back onto the cushions without a fight.

The air left Seto’s lungs in a sudden whoosh and Atem was hovering on top of him, his knees sinking down into the bed on either side of his body, giving his waist a tight, threatening squeeze.

“You will agree…to do business with me,” Atem said darkly, enjoying the way Seto tensed beneath him and gave him a wide-eyed stare. “Speak! Why are you suddenly mute?”

“I…” Seto opened his mouth to hurl a foul insult, or to unleash a compliment, both of which he realized he couldn’t do when his voice caught terribly in his throat again.

Atem’s eyes were so beautiful, and the way he had lined them with dark makeup was incredibly arousing…and intimidating.

“My answer is still no,” Seto managed, and Atem pressed his hands flat against his chest, leaning over him with a dark look strained across his delicate features.

“Tell me why,” Atem demanded, sitting himself firmly atop Kaiba’s thighs in a familiar way, and he settled in, crossing his arms and shooting the young CEO an apprehensive glare.

He could feel Seto’s bulge pressing against his inner thigh, and it took all of his effort to keep a straight face. Was this a game? Was Seto challenging him in his own strange way?

Seto ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, his mouth growing drier with every passing second; the longer Atem sat on him, the more painful his boner became.

“Because…” Seto scrambled for the most believable excuse, “I don’t like your tone, or the way you ask for favors.”

If he made Atem furious enough…maybe they’d fuck, and it would be amazing. Each time would be better than the last, and this time, they would never stop. There was no one here to interrupt them, right? Because this was Atem’s _kingdom…._

“Right,” Atem breathed, his mind oddly clear. He understood what this was now.

Seto _was_ playing a game...and this time, he was well-equipped, prepared, there was no way he would lose. 

He got up off of Seto’s legs and drifted over to his dressing table, pulling out the drawers one by one, rummaging through them, his fingertips tingling with anticipation and excitement.  
This was a new environment for Seto, which put him immediately at a disadvantage.

“Hey…come back,” Seto demanded hoarsely, and received no answer from the spiky-haired figure bent over the ornate drawers. The soft thunking of unseen items filled the silence in the room as Atem continued to rummage.

 _Found it,_ Atem thought devilishly, curling his fingers around a shallow glass jar, and he whirled around excitedly, climbing back onto the bed with joy.  
Seto would enjoy this.

“What the fuck is that?” Seto asked suspiciously as Atem struggled for a moment before managing to pry the silver lid off the jar with a flourish.

“This was a gift,” Atem said, almost missing a few syllables in Japanese. His mind was thinking too fast for his words to form before they came out of his mouth. “A gift from Set, but I was too stupid to know before.”

“What?” Seto asked blankly, trying to understand. That was an oddly broken sentence from a usually eloquent Yami.  
Atem.  
Seto mentally corrected himself and lowered his gaze, choosing to stare at Atem’s tanned knees peeking out from underneath his hemmed robe.

What Atem had meant to say, was that he had been too _innocent_ to know what this serum was for, but if he remembered correctly, Set had mentioned it was a special mixture made with a popular aphrodisiac from…a shaman? In India?  
  
It was meant to be saved for a wedding night with a future wife, but….

 _Details are not important_ , Atem berated himself, staring at the clear fluid in the jar, giving it a tentative sniff, fully aware that Seto was watching his every move like a hungry animal.  
  
Silence enveloped them once more as Atem tried to piece together a sentence in Japanese with words he had never learned how to use before.  
How the hell did you say “shaman”?! Or “serum”?

“I understand now,” Seto said simply, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back into the satin pillows with immense satisfaction. “You forgot the first lesson I taught you.”

Atem gazed blankly at Seto, not understanding.

“Lube,” Seto grinned evilly, pointing at the jar. “Come on, Yami. Seriously?”

Numb with embarrassment, Atem capped the jar and tossed it aside, thinking Seto didn’t deserve such a treat just yet if he was still acting this impudent.

“Shut up,” Atem said plainly, moving to sit on top of Seto’s legs again, his heart pounding thickly, wondering if Seto would treat him differently now.

Seto didn’t move and let Yami do as he pleased, feeling slightly amused.

Did Yami…no, _Atem_ think that things were different now just because he was wearing more jewelry?

He was wrong, because they were still in a bedroom, and Seto knew he had the upper hand purely because he was more sexually experienced.

He watched Atem tug and lift his shirt upwards, the fabric pulling away from the golden band in the middle of his waist quickly, exposing his stomach along with his pert, tanned nipples.

Chinning the fabric, Atem enjoyed the way Seto’s eyes widened significantly, and he smirked, his heart fluttering nervously. _“I know you like me here. Do something nice for me, won’t you?”_

Set held his breath on the other side of the door, his ears ringing with a mixture of rage and confusion.

He couldn't understand anything that was being said until just now, when Atem spoke Arabic. What was the Pharaoh asking for? Something nice? But…the tone, and the way he had said it sent a shiver up his spine.

Seto blinked, his ears ringing with Arabic, and he didn’t have the energy to understand.

“Do it nicely for me,” Atem commanded, repeating himself in Japanese when he realized he had spoken the wrong language. “And use…this.” He nodded at the jar of serum and held Seto’s cold blue gaze for a long moment before the CEO reached for it and uncapped it, giving it a tentative sniff.

The scent of something bitter and fresh stung Seto’s nose, and he paused, staring into the jar, thinking he had smelled something like this before, but he couldn't remember where.

A tanned arm shot across his face and grabbed the jar from him. Seto watched Atem sweep his fingers across the surface of the liquid before carelessly smearing it over his nipples, and Seto blinked rapidly, his stomach twisting with arousal.

Atem patted the sticky serum onto his skin, feeling oddly forlorn. Seto’s thighs were tensing mightily underneath him but Seto still wasn’t touching him.  
Was he still testing him? If so, why?  
Or was he still angry?!

“Please do it gently,” Atem coaxed, feeling as if they were still back at the Kaiba mansion, and here he was, sitting on top of Seto after a long day at work, trying to elicit a positive reaction.

He was a fool to think that Seto’s behavior towards him would change after seeing him in his royal garbs.

Seto held his breath, staring deeply into Atem’s wide, violet eyes, feeling himself slip. Now this was an expression he recognized.  
Fine. Just one touch.

He reached his hands forward and gently thumbed Atem’s nipples, pressing down and swirling the peaks in a soft circle, earning a soft sigh, which fueled him to press the tips of his nails down into the delicate skin, hearing Atem let out a sharp gasp in response and give his sides an encouraging squeeze with his thighs.

Atem rocked back and forth excitedly on top of Seto’s legs, his body hot with anticipation, and the warmth from Seto’s gentle hands were causing his skin to burn with a familiar fire.

Now this was right. Seto was being gentle now because he had been forgiven!

“Do you forgive me now?” Atem asked breathlessly, trying to ride every strange clench of his stomach each time Seto dipped his thumbs down against his nipples, and his dick twitched excitedly underneath his robes.

“Forgive?” Seto echoed hollowly, his ears ringing with happiness at the way Atem’s cheeks were flushed a pretty pink in the semi-darkness. “Did you do something wrong?”

A warm heat was slowly spreading from his nipples all the way across his chest, and Atem grit his teeth, letting out a low growl. He dropped the hem of his shirt and lunged at Seto, pinning him down by the shoulders into the soft cushions, pleased to see a defiant smirk sitting on Seto’s lips.

“Take it off,” Atem hissed, lifting Seto’s shirt up insistently, his knuckles grazing across the cold buckle of a belt as he did so. “I’m not playing your game.”

“I’m not…playing a game,” Seto managed, struggling to swallow his laughter with effort, letting Atem wrestle his shirt off and stare down at him with a dark expression on his face.

A bracelet-adorned arm passed across his face once more and the jar of liquid appeared under his nose.

“This is the test nipple,” Atem said evilly, uncapping the lid and smearing a small glob of clear serum across one pink oval on Seto’s chest. “The other will stay dry.”

“The…what?” Seto laughed fully this time, unable to hold it back any longer, and he heard his own laughter echo around the chamber.

“Stop laughing,” Atem snapped playfully, tossing Seto’s belt aside with ease and working the button and zipper. “You won’t be laughing like this when I’m done. Off.”

Seto sobered up and nodded, inching his pants off around his waist, and his heels caught on a strange, silky fabric. Atem hissed in annoyance and gave his purple cloak a yank, unclasping it from his shoulders and tossing it aside.

The fabric slid off the edge of the bed and onto the floor, and Seto watched it go, shivering when a warm hand wrapped sensually around his erection and gave it a few encouraging strokes, sending warm jolts of pleasure up and down his body.

He winced in pain as a few of Atem’s rings caught along his foreskin and was mildly surprised when Atem didn’t pause in his motions to adjust for his comfort.

“Hey…that hurts,” Seto said weakly, and he was ignored. It seemed…Atem was going to make him suffer. Should he throw his clothes back on and leave the room?

 _Now that my hand is in his pants…_ Atem thought wickedly to himself and he reached for the jar again, unscrewing the lid quickly and slicking his fingers in the serum before capping it with ease.

He generously coated Seto’s dick with the liquid, enjoying the way everything gathered stickily between his fingers, and his golden rings gleamed with wetness in the semi-darkness. Well, this was a sight he never thought he would see in a million years.  
Pale thighs were twitching and jerking underneath him as he gave Seto’s erection long, steady strokes, giving the slit a good rub under his thumb just to earn a cold, blue-eyed glare.

Gritting his teeth, Seto gave his knees a solid jerk upwards for Atem’s attention as his foreskin caught painfully in Atem’s rings again. “Hey, I said that hurts!”

“Does it?” Atem replied dispassionately, opening his palm and cupping the head of Seto’s dick tightly where the thickest golden ring sat low on his finger, and he rubbed lewdly, hearing Seto let out a low hiss.

“Take that shit off,” Seto said angrily, and to his immense surprise, Atem shook his head defiantly.

“I like the way it looks,” Atem replied innocently, giving the head of Seto’s dick another tight squeeze, enjoying Seto’s flushed expression.

Seto took deep, even breaths, forcing himself to calm down, but something odd had come over him. He felt…unusually weak, and even the gentlest of touches was setting him off. The way Atem squeezed his head and rubbed his slit sent a jolt of searing pleasure through his chest, and he wondered if he had been drugged at the dinner.

His mind was clear, but his body was reacting to touches differently.

“Did you put something in my food?” he demanded, watching Atem shake his beautiful spiky head in response, and the soft tinkling of his jewelry was music to his ears. “You did, didn’t you?”

“If you willingly take off your pants down to your ankles,” Atem coaxed cleverly as he slowly eased off of Seto to sit beside him, “I’ll tell you.”

“Right,” Seto seethed, and he shoved his pants down his thighs roughly, his fingertips tingling strangely as he did so, and he caught a dark grin flitting across Atem’s delicate face.

“Got you,” Atem crowed triumphantly, wrapping his arms around Seto’s knees and forcefully rolling him onto his stomach before nimbly sitting tightly on the backs of his thighs.

“Get the fuck off of me,” Seto growled, hating himself for falling for it.  
Why would Atem poison his food? Did Atem poison his food?!  
He was feeling lightheaded and it was getting harder to breathe. Or maybe it was just the way his chin was pressing tightly down into cushions that smelled like Atem.

“Your answer is no,” Atem said seriously, tousling Seto’s hair and pushing his head further down into the embroidered pillows. “I did not put anything in your food.”

Seto opened his mouth to retaliate but his voice caught terribly in his throat after his dick began burning and chafing with a strange sensation while his right nipple began pulsing and throbbing.  
Right. Nothing in his food.  
Atem had just…smeared mystery lube on his dick and his “test nipple”, and it was making him want to cum and cry at the same time. What the fuck was this shit?!

He could feel Atem spreading him carefully from behind, and he froze, his mind churning in turmoil. To let Atem fuck him…or to not let Atem fuck him….

Seto could hear the jar being uncapped behind him, and he struggled weakly. The serum should be used in moderation! Was this made from natural plants and oils…? If Atem had been gifted something like this, it was definitely potent!

 _“I’ll do it to you better than last time_ ,” Atem said, more to himself than anything, and he slicked a generous coating of the serum across Seto’s ass cheeks, seeing them tense wonderfully beneath his touch.

He used his already sticky hand to give himself a firm rub, shivering happily at his own touch, and he shamelessly masturbated for a moment while hovering above Seto’s ass, noticing the way pale knuckles curled into the sheets underneath them.

“What’s the matter?” Atem asked innocently, his breaths light with excitement when the serum turned hot against his touch, causing his dick to throb wonderfully with pleasure. This was a good mixture indeed!

“S-Stop,” Seto hissed, barely able to think as the weight of Atem sitting on top of him made his head spin and his chest ache with need. His one nipple was burning with a strange heat, and his dick leaked pitifully into the sheets beneath him. To top it all off, his asshole was pulsing strangely, and Atem hadn’t even touched him, seemingly neglecting him on purpose.

“Stop what? I haven’t done anything,” Atem said wickedly, sliding one finger down Seto’s crack and giving the rim a lewd rub, seeing Seto’s shoulders tense mightily in response.

“Do you get bored?” Atem asked, and his emotions came rushing over him suddenly as he recalled all the times Seto had ignored him sexually in the mansion. “You must touch yourself here to get by, don’t you?”

He saw a tight shake of Seto’s head, and he felt a rush of anger. No?

Lies.

“You don’t think about me when you do?” Atem continued, pressing his finger firmly down against the opening of Seto’s hole before slowly easing his finger into it, letting the wonderful heat swallow him thickly.

There was no response

Seto clenched his jaw so hard, he saw green as a wonderful rush of pleasure traveled up and down his legs from Atem’s finger in his ass. The finger inside him stayed motionless, and Seto gripped the pillow underneath him tightly, wondering why Atem had stopped.

“You don’t?” Atem asked again, beginning to feel hurt. He withdrew his finger slowly and saw Seto raise his head, his voice strangely hoarse as he spoke. “Wait! No, please, just…put it back.”

“Tell me,” Atem demanded, giving Seto’s rim a sensual rub and feeling his own dick throb happily in response. “Tell me that you think about me when you touch yourself.”

“I do, I fucking do,” Seto hissed, twisting his head around to make eye contact with Atem, but was blinded by another searing jolt of heat that ripped through his body when Atem inserted two fingers into him slowly…too slowly. He could feel…everything.

“I hate that, stop it,” he said shakily, thinking that he sounded so strange, and he felt Atem shift beside him before withdrawing his fingers completely, causing him to shiver involuntarily. He didn’t hate it. It felt wonderful, but a dick would feel better than two fingers…!

 _“Fine, hate me then,”_ Atem replied in Arabic, misunderstanding completely. He inched his dick closer towards Seto’s asshole and pressed the head against his entrance, shaking with a mixture of anticipation and anger.

He shoved himself forward and heard Seto let out a soft cry underneath him, but he ignored it and continued, almost cumming when Seto’s hole clenched tightly around the base of his dick, and he leaned back to survey his view.

Seto was once again lying face down underneath him, shaking with pleasure, this time, in familiar surroundings, in a room surrounded by his own finery, in the bed he had slept in since he was a young boy.

The heat from inside Seto’s body was almost too much to bear. The serum had made his dick incredibly sensitive, and Atem gave Seto a few tentative thrusts, seeing Seto attempt to prop himself up on his elbows but fail miserably.

He let out a laugh and spread Seto’s legs further, losing himself in the wonderful tightness.

It suddenly occurred to Atem that he was in control. He had more power now than he ever did before.  
Seto was his.  
He could keep Seto here in his room forever, as his toy.  
He could tell the pilots to leave for Japan…tonight even!  
The tables could easily be turned if Seto refused to do business with him.  
Did Seto know that?

Atem raised himself up on his knees and began thrusting earnestly into Seto. Heated threads of pleasure raked their way down his legs each time he slid in and out of Seto’s ass, and he enjoyed the way Seto’s pale chest rose and fell with every ragged breath, and the way his fingertips whitened against the sheets.

Seto looked like he was enjoying himself immensely, and Atem was beginning to feel slightly envious.

Seto was lost and floating on the highest cloud.

His insides were melting the deeper Atem thrust inside him, and there was a strange ringing in his ears. Also…his right nipple was aching and stinging now, and that combined with the harsh rubbing of his tip against the mattress underneath him was enough to make him cum.

His stomach curled with pleasure but the crashing wave of orgasm was just out of reach when Atem withdrew suddenly and rolled him over onto his side, hovering over him protectively, his gold earring grazing his inner knee.

“Seto, say that you love me,” Atem insisted, his chest clenching with a familiar tightness. He lifted Seto’s leg and tucked it under his elbow, shivering from the loss of contact, and he tensed, riding out the short wave of pleasure that came from the sudden cold grazing across his slit.

“I love you,” Seto said automatically, thinking he would say anything to anyone if Atem would just continue in earnest and fuck him until he forgot his own name.

“Don’t lie to me,” Atem said firmly, losing his own composure as he stared at the tip of Seto’s dick. It was shining wonderfully back at him, just asking to be licked.

“I’ll say it as many times as you want, in any language,” Seto replied encouragingly, reaching down to touch himself shamelessly, and his fingers crept across his chest to play with his own nipple, the one that was throbbing and aching since Atem had smeared the lube on him.

Atem blinked rapidly, watching Seto’s pale hand grip his own dick and stroke himself quickly, and irritation settled low in his chest when he watched the CEO throw his head back and sigh happily at his own touch.

“Hey!” Atem snapped, pushing Seto over onto his back and sitting on his legs once more, prying his hand away from his dick. “I didn’t say you could do that.”

Seto’s head was spinning so much, he couldn't think straight. He was stuck in an agonizing limbo and he just wanted to cum, and for the warmth to engulf his entire being.

Atem hovered above Seto’s dick, rubbing the tip lewdly between his ass cheeks, feeling it slip slightly in his hand from all the lubricant, and he caught a desperate look flitting across Seto’s face before he slowly lowered himself down onto Seto’s dick, feeling himself stretch painfully, and he paused halfway, regretting his actions immediately.  
Being entered always hurt! Why did Seto always make it look so enjoyable?!

Seto tensed and bit back a strained groan. Atem was either trying to kill him with his eagerness or his cluelessness, he wasn’t sure which.

“Wrong,” Seto breathed, giving Atem’s thigh a reassuring pat and pointing upwards. “Raise up…”

Atem grimaced and rose up on his knees, letting Seto’s hand slide down his thigh blindly before slipping smoothly underneath his balls, and a cold finger rubbed wonderfully up and down along his crack.

Tense with anticipation, Atem felt Seto slip one finger slowly inside him before carefully adding the second beside it, scissoring him gently before nodding breathlessly, his cheeks flushed red with excitement.

“Now, sit,” Seto managed, wondering if he was dreaming. Everything felt so far away and surreal as Atem gently sat himself down on his fingers. The warmth from his hole traveled all the way up his arm and landed straight in his groin, causing his stomach to twist and clench wonderfully.

“Fuck…just…” Seto couldn't find words to string into a sentence. Tight. Atem. On his dick. Now.

Atem bit his tongue lightly and ground his hips tentatively down onto Seto’s fingers, feeling Seto’s thumb twitching uncomfortably underneath his balls, and he winced. This was not as pleasant as he had imagined.

He eased off of Seto’s fingers and hovered once again above his dick, bracing himself for more pain as he placed the tip right against his hole, and he sat down gingerly, a centimeter at a time, feeling nothing but a warm thrum as he was stretched lightly.

“Better?” Seto asked gruffly, watching Atem’s expression carefully. The furrow in his brow was gone and his tanned cheeks were tinged pink.

Afraid that if he spoke, it would hurt again, Atem just nodded, and braced himself for more pain, but there was none as Seto held his gaze with half-lidded eyes. His body felt hot all over and Atem squirmed, clenching and unclenching experimentally, testing for pain.  
There was no pain, and Seto’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment.

Atem realized this felt good.

He gave Seto’s hips a squeeze with his knees and rocked forward happily, enjoying the deep rush of heat shooting straight through his core, and it made his head spin violently. Dizzy with arousal and excitement, Atem raised himself up and rammed himself back down, enjoying the way Seto threw his head back with his mouth parted in a silent cry.

Good? Good.  
Again!  
  
Seto couldn't think or breathe as Atem sat heavily on top of him, again and again, sometimes slowly, other times rocking back and forth on top of him so hard, the bed shook, having his way and enjoying it, and clearly acting with no regards to how he was feeling.  
This was new.  
This version of Yami was merciless and confident.  
  
Maybe it was because they were in his room, on his bed, in his country, or maybe he was wearing clothes that made him feel more like himself, but either way, Seto didn’t know or care.  
All that mattered was that Yami’s arms never left his shoulders, and his hands never left his hair, and that his lips never left his neck, and the serum was making his dick so hot, it felt like he was melting inside of Atem.

Atem tried to keep his composure, but that was becoming harder with every downward thrust, and he could barely hear himself think. An orgasm was building low in his stomach, and his nipples burned with the residual effects of the aphrodisiac.  
  
Seto seemed to read his mind, because pale fingers came for his chest and his nipples were rubbed vigorously, sending violent jolts of pleasure up and down his body. That, combined with the heated thrusts of Seto’s dick inside him was more than enough to make him cum, and Atem clamped his knees down around Seto’s waist, his world tilted, turning white briefly, and his head rushed with pleasure. He came thickly onto Seto’s stomach, hearing Seto let out a gasping shudder underneath him, still rocking his hips upwards into him.

He still hadn’t cum!

Weak with exhaustion, Atem fell forward onto Seto’s body and strong arms embraced him warmly, holding him tight.

Atem’s mind hummed with bliss and began to shut off just as Seto picked up his pace again, rolling him over onto his side and pounding into him relentlessly, and he let out an enthusiastic shout that rang throughout the room. He curled his fingers around Seto’s muscular arms, attempting to push him away as his stomach clenched and churned thickly with pleasure after every one of Seto’s heavy thrusts. He gasped for breath and attempted to speak.

_“Stop-p…I-I’m…a-already…”_

Teeth clamped down on his neck, and Atem let out a soft gasp, his body convulsing involuntarily again in a dry orgasm after feeling a rush of thick, hot semen gathered at his rim and begin to leak down the side of his ass.

“Y-You released inside me!” Atem cried, panting and twisting away frantically, shivering happily as Seto tongued his skin playfully, and he cried out again. “Don’t…mark me! You’ll be killed!”

“Try and fucking kill me,” Seto smiled against Atem’s skin and wrapped his legs around his ankles, effectively trapping him in position, and he gave his dick a lewd twitch inside of him, hearing Atem let out another strained shout.

“Get…out! Don’t move like that! I’m being serious, Seto!”

“I think I’ll stay like this forever,” Seto said plainly, feeling his asshole chafe and burn from the semen and lubricant drying around his rim. “Let’s go again.”

“I can’t…” Atem panted, grabbing desperately at the air in front of him, wondering what he could grab ahold of so he could pull himself out of Seto’s arms, but on second thought…he was comfortable. Why would he want to leave?  
  
“I’ll wait a few minutes,” Seto mumbled sleepily, inching himself closer into Atem and sticking himself in to the hilt, and he felt a harsh kick sting his shins. “Ow!”

 _“I said, take it out!”_ Atem hissed, giving Seto a shove behind him and trembling with residual shocks of pleasure as Seto finally eased out of him, slowly.

“Fuck,” Atem growled, spreading his cheeks lightly and feeling a hot stream of liquid slowly drip from his hole, and he clenched nervously, his stomach churning strangely with arousal again.  
Ah...he understood now why Seto always wanted to continue.  
Now that there was nothing inside him, he felt empty.

“Fuck,” Seto breathed, palming his face and letting out a light laugh. If this was a dream, this was a wonderful dream from which he never wanted to wake.

Set slid down into a sitting position on the floor with his back against the Pharaoh’s door, wondering if he was having a nightmare, and if so, why couldn't he wake from this horrible dream?

Did he just hear…sex?  
  
Very enjoyable and playful…sex between…Seto Kaiba and…Pharaoh Atem?  
  
_His_ pharaoh?  
His prince? His king?!  
Impossible.  
Impossible.  
  
Sex between two men?  
Impossible.  
  
Atem was an innocent…boy! He…  
  
Impossible.  
  
Set placed his thumbs against his temples, forcing himself to breathe steadily.  
  
Atem had been considered an adult since his coming-of-age ceremony five years ago, and Set’s stomach twisted with horror as he remembered the gift he had gotten for the Prince to celebrate the occasion.  
  
It was an aphrodisiac, especially for bedroom play, and Prince Atem at the time had held the jar curiously in his hands, and had smiled so innocently up at him, Set couldn’t bring himself to tell Atem what it was for.  
  
But now, he couldn’t help but wonder….  
  
H-had they used… _that?!_ D-During… _that?!_  
  
Atem…was sexually attracted to a despicable stranger who looked exactly like him?!

Impossible.  
…  
Possible.  
He had just heard it.  
  
And it had lasted…quite a long time, because he had been here when the evening sun was still showing through the window, and now the sun had set.  
  
Horrifying.  
  
His instructions were to report the outcome of Atem’s “negotiations” to Shadi, but Set was shaking so hard, he could barely think straight.  
  
Would he be…betraying the Pharaoh by telling the rest of the royal court about this incident?  
Actually, was this an isolated incident?  
  
The Pharaoh had asked to clear the whole wing…because they had been shouting and laughing while making love….  
  
Trembling with a mixture of rage and fear, Set rose unsteadily to his feet and made his way quietly out of the Pharaoh’s private sitting room.

He leaned the door shut quietly and dismissed the two guards standing at attention beside it.

Watching them shuffle away, Set sighed and shut his eyes, choosing to sit down on the floor once again because he was unable to stand.  
  
Was it humiliating if a servant were to walk by and see him sitting on the floor like a dirty commoner? Yes. But did it matter? No.  
  
His Atem…had grown up without him.

* * *

**Author’s note:**  
  
Set angst.

A good sex between atem and kaiba finally? Big questionmark u tell me  
  
but. Set angst. Poor set.  
  
thx ylje for your existence in my life.  
I finished this chapter at 4Am and will regret tomorrow morning but right now I feel like it was worth it. Thank you for always reading. I put my heart, soul, and sleep deprivation into this.  
   
xo  
Ugli


	35. happiness

Set carefully observed his imposter for the next few days.

He did his best to stick beside Pharaoh Atem, but that was becoming harder to do because it seemed that Seto Kaiba was keen on replacing him, always trailing after the Pharaoh and conversing with him quietly, purposely out of earshot.  
  
On more than one occasion, he had seen Seto Kaiba reach out to touch Atem on the arm, an act punishable by death, but he saw Atem reciprocate with a warm smile, and that made his stomach twist with anger and jealousy.  
  
Twice, he had witnessed Seto Kaiba caressing Atem’s backside through his robes while they were out in the garden taking a walk together, and Atem had laughed and hung onto his arm happily, gazing up at him with sparkling eyes.  
  
Furious, Set tried several times to let Atem know that Seto Kaiba was overstepping his bounds, but he was waved aside with a careless hand.

 _“He is a rich and powerful businessman_ ,” Atem had said to him with his cheeks flushing a strange pink color. _“We have much to gain by doing business with him.”_

 _Business,_ Set growled angrily to himself, curling his fingers around the millennium rod, understanding fully that Atem had meant ‘sex’ when alluding to this so-called ‘business’.

What outraged him the most was yesterday, when Atem had gifted Seto Kaiba with royal garbs worn by court members only, and Seto Kaiba had accepted them with both hands, bowing curtly _without kneeling._

Set leaned against the window sill with his arms folded tightly across his chest, glaring down at the empty garden, the bright sunlight causing his eyes to water.

Seto Kaiba was now walking around the palace, wearing royal garbs, ones that matched his in rank, and the servants were bowing to him every time he entered or left a room. It made Set sick to his stomach to see, knowing that the imposter didn’t have an inkling of how hard one had to work to become blessed with the honor of serving the Pharaoh in his court, and here he was, walking around with Atem as if he already owned half the kingdom.

Now every time he was in the same room as Seto Kaiba, he couldn't help but glare at him until his heart threatened to explode out of his chest.

Once or twice, he had caught Seto Kaiba staring coldly at him, but he figured he had successfully hidden the hatred on his face.

 _Maybe I should poison him_ , Set thought bitterly, hearing voices in the garden below him, and he sighed, thinking that it was a bad idea because it would only hinder Pharaoh Atem’s attempts to financially rebuild the kingdom.

Was Seto Kaiba even negotiating with Atem? It didn’t seem like it.  
  
The two acted like lovebirds whenever they thought no one was watching, and usually no one was, but he was, and he knew. After hearing them loudly making love several nights ago, Set was certain that the Pharaoh and Seto Kaiba did not have a business relationship.  
They had a romantic relationship.  
They were _in_ a relationship.  
And if anyone were to find out, Seto Kaiba would be hanged publicly, regardless of his status in his own country.  
  
Set gripped the millennium rod tighter, seeing Atem and Seto Kaiba stride into view beneath him in the garden, this time, hand-in-hand.

He had been waiting here, timing everything, making note of Pharaoh Atem’s schedule, knowing that this was the time Atem set aside to spend with Seto Kaiba in the garden, and the sight of them holding hands made him queasy.

Did those two fools know that they were in plain sight of anyone who would happen to look out the window?!

He saw Seto Kaiba reach out to pull Atem close, kissing him lightly once on the cheek before pressing his lips fully onto his mouth, and when Seto Kaiba pulled away for air, he glanced upwards and their eyes seemed to meet briefly for a second.

Set leaned away from the window frantically, his heart pounding thickly in his ears, wondering if he had been seen.

He continued to watch, unable to tear his eyes away. Seto Kaiba’s pale hands boldly roamed down Pharaoh Atem’s side, resting lightly on his hip before sliding down to shamelessly grope his buttocks, bunching the fabric of his robes so much, Set almost caught a glimpse of Atem’s undergarments, and he bit his lower lip painfully, noticing that Atem kept jutting up on his toes, clearly enjoying himself.

His chest tightened with the horrible feeling again, and he heard the door open and close behind him.

Frightened, Set whirled around to see Shadi striding towards him with a dark look on his face.

Oh no…oh no. They had been seen! Had they been seen?

“At ease, Priest,” Shadi said tiredly, noticing that the priest looked unusually tense. But then again, everyone had been on edge since Pharaoh Atem had welcomed the foreigner into their palace.

“I am at ease,” Set replied quickly, his tongue swelling at this lie, and he flinched visibly when he heard Atem’s laugh echoing up from the garden below.

Shadi was holding a laptop underneath his arm.

He was not here to discuss the terms of Seto Kaiba’s beheading?

“Well, I see you are…on guard then,” Shadi said approvingly, and he slipped the laptop out from underneath his arm, placing it on the nearest end table. “I have a task for you, since you have so much time on your hands now…”

 _And that’s the imposter’s fault_ , Set hissed angrily to himself, forcing his face to remain expressionless.

“You and I are the only ones who still don’t trust him,” Shadi continued, glancing at the laptop and then back at Set, clearly talking about Kaiba but refusing to address him by name. “The women have let their guard down. Mahad is on my side, but he won’t say anything to the hinder the Pharaoh’s efforts…but I know you will.”

“What is my task?” Set asked, wishing he could turn around to see what Atem and Seto Kaiba were doing now. Had those two lovesick fools stopped kissing and touching by now?  
They ought to be thankful!  
He was blocking all sight from the window, and he was probably the only thing keeping Seto Kaiba alive right now.

“I want him out,” Shadi said coldly, and Set shifted uncomfortably in his stance, “but Atem spoke to me the other day and said that he is keeping Seto Kaiba here as a willing prisoner.”

Set let out a mirthless laugh. Seto Kaiba…a willing prisoner? From what he could see, the businessman was acting as if he was here on a leisurely vacation!

“Do some investigating, preist,” Shadi said, ignoring Set’s reaction. He knew the priest was upset, quite possibly more so than he was, which made him the perfect man for the job.

“Find anything that tarnishes his name and show it to the Pharaoh so that he may consider withdrawing his negotiations with the Japanese. If you find nothing, don’t bother coming to me.”

Set composed himself and nodded stiffly, bowing as Shadi left the room with a quiet swish of his robes, shutting the door behind him with a resounding click.

Quickly, Set turned around to check if Atem and Seto Kaiba were still touching, and to his relief, they were no longer in the garden.

Now properly motivated by his anger, Set strode over to the laptop, but before he could pick it up, the door clicked again, and he straightened up, expecting Shadi to enter the room again, but to his extreme displeasure, it was Seto Kaiba.  
  
Hot blood rushed to his head, causing the room to spin, and Set gripped the millennium rod tighter, resisting the urge to lunge forward and stab his body-double in the chest.

Kaiba blinked rapidly as he spied a familiar object sitting atop a golden end table.  
A laptop!

But the imposter of himself was standing inches away from it…clearly about to pick it up.

Quick, a diversion.

“Your balls are hanging out there,” Kaiba said wickedly in English, pointing out the window, and he saw the man throw him a look of deep contempt before turning his head a fraction of an inch to the side, and that was all the time Kaiba needed.

He dashed forward and swept the laptop off the table, his fingertips curling around the edge of the plastic triumphantly. A heavy elbow came down painfully on his shoulder blade, sending a solid jolt of pain reverberating up and down his back, and he realized the man was trying to wrestle him to the ground.

 _To the ground then,_ Kaiba thought irritably, hugging the laptop to his chest as he dove to the floor, feeling the priest let out a loud _oof_ above him, and he quickly flipped onto his side, giving the man a vicious kick, watching him slide across the floor in an undignified manner with his robes splayed to the side around him, clearly an inexperienced fighter.

“Wow, you’re a shitty bodyguard,” Kaiba taunted, pleased to have the laptop in his possession, undamaged from their scuffle. But his white robes were now streaked with dust, and a shoe print was visible on his lower hem.  
Fuck this guy, seriously.  
  
If this man was Atem’s right hand, what happened if someone were to attempt an assassination in close quarters?

He had just kicked this guy to the ground…over a laptop, no less.

“I am _not_ …a lowly _bodyguard_ ,” Set hissed angrily, rising to his feet and adjusting his hat back onto his head before, deciding against it, he set it aside carefully, thinking he would fight this man to the death.

The Pharaoh and the royal court would at least bury his body in a dignified manner while this foreigner was left out to rot in the desert.

“Whatever,” Kaiba answered coldly, scanning the room for an outlet. There was none. Well, clearly they had outlets here because he was holding a laptop, but why wouldn’t they place one in Atem’s room?

He needed to charge his damn phone and contact Mokuba because it had been almost a week since he had left Japan, and he was positive that Atem had sent the pilots back without his knowledge.

“Give that here,” Set hissed, holding his hand out, but he withdrew it quickly when he saw how much he was shaking. Damn this man. Damn this man!

“You can use it after me,” Seto sneered, eyeing the door behind the man, and he wondered briefly if he would have to fight him to get him to step aside. This gross imposter of himself had been peeking at them since his arrival, and when he had been kissing Yami…no, _Atem_ , in the garden a few moments ago, he knew they were being watched by this pervert.

“There is a password, and you don’t know it,” Set replied loftily, folding his arms across his chest in an attempt to appear more intimidating. “And while I have you here, you should know that your behavior with the Pharaoh is—”

“Blah blah, I’m not going to have his babies, so you can shut up,” Kaiba interrupted coldly, moving to sit down on the lounge closest to him, deciding that this weaker version of himself was no longer a threat. He could easily hack this old piece of shit and get access to the internet.

“You—how dare you!” Set sputtered, realizing that he was almost no match for the rudeness of this man. What did Atem see in this horrible monster?!

“How dare I,” Kaiba echoed blandly, prying the laptop open with ease and seeing a pin pad appear on the screen. Time to reset.  
He ran his fingers along the edge of the laptop, pleased to discover that this was a tablet computer, and he smirked to himself.  
This was even easier than he’d thought.

Set stood hesitantly a bit away, not wanting to get closer to Kaiba after the scuffle, and he watched pale fingers pressing and tapping the buttons on the side of the device.

“Hey! Stop that!” Set snapped, dusting himself off and taking a threatening step forward. “It’s not a toy. There are important documents on there!”

A lie, but Set didn’t care anymore. He just wanted this headache of a man to disappear from his life, and away from Atem.

“Really? You keep important documents in this open book?” Seto replied coldly, seeing the screen flash blue, and a troubleshoot window appeared in the upper corner. Well, shit, everything was in Arabic, but thankfully, he knew enough from memory to get by.

“I…yes,” Set said angrily, ruffling his hair in frustration as he stared at Seto Kaiba’s hair. It was the exact same shade of brown. Were they…identical twins?! The more he looked, the more similar they seemed, with the only difference being their skin color!

Kaiba let the tablet restart, and to his immense satisfaction, the factory default screen appeared in English, asking the user to choose a language and set up the device.  
What a garbage tablet.  
Atem’s staff really needed a tech upgrade that couldn’t be so easily reset, because even a child could do what he had just done.

Set watched, white-faced and aghast at the way Seto Kaiba had managed to unlock the device with ease, and he eyed the door, contemplating locking the businessman in this room.  
  
But that would accomplish nothing, and if anything, Shadi would know that he had failed in his one simple task.

“Where is the Pharaoh?” Set asked, in an attempt to maintain conversation with the foreigner, and he was coldly ignored.

Kaiba hastily searched for networks in the area, and he hacked his way in, slipping his hand into his pocket for his phone and quickly powering it on, feeling it buzz multiple times; undoubtedly messages from a concerned Mokuba.

Set held his breath, watching Seto Kaiba connect his mobile phone to his tablet before pressing the phone to his ear, clearly making a call.  
Wait…wait.  
Didn’t Atem say that Seto Kaiba was a prisoner here? Prisoners weren’t allowed contact with the outside world. Was this the reason for his frantic behavior after seeing the laptop?

Deeply pleased, Set decided he would enjoy watching Seto Kaiba struggle more than anything else. There was no way this man could make calls just from connecting to their network.

“Mokuba?” Seto said warmly, and Set heard a child’s happy laugh echoing from the receiver.

I-Impossible! How?!

“Big brother!” Mokuba cried happily, pressing the phone to his ear with one shoulder while he held the game remote in both hands. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Seto responded, mildly confused at Mokuba’s lack of concern about his silence. “How are you?”

“Um…good?” Mokuba answered carelessly, and Seto could hear video game explosions in the background. “Why?”

“Why?” Seto echoed incredulously, wondering if Mokuba was putting up a brave front for him, but something was telling him that that wasn’t the case. “You weren’t worried at all?”

“Why should I be worried?” Mokuba replied loftily, his voice drifting farther away from the receiver, and Kaiba heard his manservant’s voice faintly before Mokuba said, “Isono wants to talk. Okay bye love you Seto.”

“W-Wait!” Kaiba cried, hearing a pause before Isono’s voice echoed in his ear. “Master Kaiba?”

“Where are my pilots?” Kaiba asked automatically, his mind spinning with unanswered questions, and his manservant answered him smoothly.

“You sent them back…three…no, five days ago. They had a note from Yami and many crates of exotic fruit, wine, and carpets, which I thought was something you wanted to send b—”

“Five days ago?!” Kaiba gasped, his worst fears confirmed. Why was Yami acting without his knowledge? It was fine, because he could just call his pilots back, but…why wouldn’t he say anything about sending them back to Japan?

“Well, yes,” Isono answered, sounding uninterested. “I daresay you’re having a great time on your honeymoon, Mr. Kaiba. Are there any other gifts you are shipping back here while you are away?”

“Honeymoon?” Kaiba echoed incredulously, and he saw Set move into view beside him, glaring angrily at him.

“That’s enough now, hang up,” Set ordered, wondering if he should snatch the laptop out of the businessman’s lap. Was the call connected to the computer? Was that how he was doing it?!

“Who says I’m on a honeymoon?” Kaiba asked in a rush, and his manservant’s voice was already floating away from the receiver. “Everyone. The media. Your secretary. The note from Yami…” and Mokuba’s voice sounded in his ear again.

_“Bye Setoooo!”_

And the line clicked off in his ear, followed by silence, and then a dial tone.

Numb with surprise, Seto let the priest snatch the laptop out of his hands and watched him back away into a far corner of the room to sit down on the lounge across the way and shoot him one last glare before tapping away at the device.

Honeymoon.  
  
Fucking…Atem, sent the pilots back so that they could have…privacy?  
Was that why Atem had insisted he wear these robes?  
Was that why Atem was acting so damn horny every single night?

His ass was chafing now while he sat here, watching the mirror image of himself tapping away at the tablet with a dark look on his face.

Who was this guy to Atem? He had seen this man prowling the hallways, blatantly following them everywhere they went, clearly trying to eavesdrop.

Set shook with disbelief, staring at the tablet which had been reset to its original blank state. All the applications and previous saved files were gone. It was like-new. Even the speed of the device had magically improved.  
The language on the tablet had also been changed to English.

Trying to shake the odd feeling off, he tapped ‘Seto Kaiba’ into the search bar of the browser and blinked rapidly, processing each and every news article title with a horrible, crushing tightness in his chest.

_“Seto Kaiba’s exclusive honeymoon details!”_

_Honeymoon?!_ Set froze incredulously, and he hastily translated the page into Arabic, just to make sure he wasn’t misunderstanding anything in English.  
  
No, his eyes weren’t being deceived.  
The title did indeed say ‘honeymoon’.

_“Secretary-san’s list of must-see places to vacation with your lover!”_

A photo of a pretty woman standing beside Seto Kaiba on the steps of a tall building was shown. Seto Kaiba himself was wearing a suit tailored impressively to fit his tall form, and Set couldn’t help but feel another twinge of resentment.  
Was this man somehow…more handsome than himself?  
Was that why Atem preferred him?

_“Seto Kaiba rumored to be married to a prince from a foreign country!”_

_Wrong! Horribly wrong!_ Set panicked, his fingers shaking as he continued to scroll down, wondering how he could hide this evidence from Shadi.

_“Same-gender love! Seto Kaiba and his silence regarding his marriage….”_

_The whole world knows!_ Set paled, breaking out into a cold sweat, and he heard a movement in front of him.

To his absolute horror, Seto Kaiba was now standing over him with a curious look on his face, his brows furrowed in an eerily familiar way.

 _I look like that whenever I’m confused,_ Set thought nervously, clicking the tablet off and composing himself.

“Why do you look exactly like me?” Seto asked arrogantly, and he saw his twin bristle at this statement, which amused him further.  
  
“Who looks like who?” Set growled, wondering if he too, should stand. Were they the same height?!

“I’m obviously the original,” Seto grinned impishly, deciding to incite this man further. If his suspicions were correct, if this man looked like him, would he behave and react the same way?

“Shut your mouth,” Set hissed, tossing the tablet aside and rising to his feet, coming nose-to-nose with Kaiba, and he stood his ground, glaring into clear blue eyes that looked exactly like the ones he saw in the mirror every morning when he woke up. How terrifying….

“Are you in love with him?” Seto asked curiously, and his question was viciously ignored.

“Speaking of love,” Set growled, “Your actions warrant a public beheading if anyone were to see you touching the Pharaoh indecently.”

“Sure,” Kaiba answered carelessly, brushing the hair out of his eyes and seeing his look-alike’s eyes follow his every move like a hawk. “You sound like a jealous prick.”

“I’m…being…serious,” Set hissed, losing his patience quickly, and he clenched his fists at his sides. This was a serious matter, and this man was just laughing at him.

“Fine,” Kaiba narrowed his eyes at his body-double, mildly pleased that they could carry a conversation fluently in English. “So kill me.”

“I wish I could but I can’t,” Set growled, abandoning all pretense and deciding to speak candidly. “If anyone of the royal court members, or even a servant sees you in the garden like the way you were before—"

“Then don’t tell them. And who will believe a servant?” Seto shot back coldly, folding his arms across his chest, seeing his twin swell with rage. This guy…made him feel like he was arguing with himself.  
Was this guy trying to help him?

“You think you’re being so discreet, don’t you?” Set seethed, pointing out the window for emphasis and lowering his voice. “I could see you every day when I looked out there. What if it was Mahad or Rishid who saw you touching hands, or kissing?!”

“Wow, you were standing here, watching us kissing…every day, huh?” Seto jeered, folding his arms across his chest and mimicking Set’s body language. “You must really want him for yourself!”

“That is not…the point!” Set ground his teeth in anger. If he cursed at this man in English, would he understand, and then also reciprocate? The thought was terrifying.  
  
“Fine. I get your point,” Seto said, losing interest in this conversation. He was horny now, and wanted to find Atem for a good fuck.

“You don’t _get_ anything!” Set growled, lifting the tablet up from the lounge and holding it out towards Kaiba. “Your rumored marriage to the Pharaoh is all over the news. If anyone from the royal court decides to search your name, you are a dead man.”

“Easily remedied,” Seto replied, snatching the tablet out of Set’s hands, applying a word and content filter on his own name, company, and Mokuba’s name. He even included Isono and his secretary’s name for good measure before handing the tablet back to Set.

“Done.”

Set stared blankly at the tablet, his fury rising. Was this man stupid?!

“You should thank me,” Seto said cattily, smirking at his body-double, sizing him up carefully. This man’s arms were muscular, just like his own. “I applied a filter.”

“And how exactly does that help?” Set bristled, and Seto explained patiently, wondering if all of Atem’s staff was this stunted.

“Fine. You did well,” Set said coldly, tossing the tablet aside. He was beginning to grow tired. Did everyone feel this way when talking with him? It wasn’t a good feeling.

“Now answer my question before I leave,” Kaiba insisted, and Set blinked, wondering if his mind was being read. This man was similar to him indeed.

“What question?” Set asked numbly, and his ears rang unpleasantly as Kaiba repeated his question from earlier in their conversation.

“Are you in love with him?”

Set blinked, swaying gently on the spot, feeling faint.

In love? With…Pharaoh Atem?  
No. That was ridiculous.  
Atem was like…a dear brother to him.

This feeling was just his protectiveness.

“No, I am not,” Set replied confidently, and he could feel himself heating up strangely at how close Seto Kaiba was standing to him, and he shoved him away hastily, glaring. “Don’t fucking touch me.”

Kaiba opened his mouth to hurl an insult but froze when he heard Atem’s voice echoing behind him.

“Seto?”

Set’s blood ran cold and his body turned hot, seeing Atem stepping cautiously into the room, and he caught a nervous look flitting across Kaiba’s face.

Atem stayed by the door, wondering if his ears had been playing tricks on him. Did he just hear Seto talking in a normal tone to Set?

“Hey,” Seto said warmly, smiling and hoping his anxiety didn’t show on his face. “I was just making a call to Mokuba.”

“I see,” Atem frowned, wondering how Kaiba had managed to do that. He spied the laptop on the lounge behind Set, and he understood immediately. Were Set and Kaiba on speaking terms? If so, when did this happen? Kaiba would’ve gotten then laptop from Set only if he had managed to ask.

There was an awkward silence in the room before Atem gestured for Seto to follow. “I need you out here for a moment.”

Kaiba dutifully followed Atem out of the room and threw one last glance at Set over his shoulder, trying to read his expression before closing the door softly behind him, leaving Set standing in the middle of the room by himself.

Letting his breath out slowly, Set sank down into the cushions and palmed his face both hands, his shoulders shaking with emotion.

Seto Kaiba was a dangerous man!

The door clicked open again and Set remained in his position, exhausted beyond belief. He didn’t want to interact with another human for the rest of the day.

“Priest!” Mana cried, rushing to his side and sitting beside him, her warm hand resting gently on his shoulder. “A-Are you alright?!”

“No,” Set answered heavily, raising his head to gaze into her beautiful face. “Am I…difficult to talk with and be around?”

“No?” Mana said unhelpfully, inching closer beside him with eager eyes. “Tell me what you and the foreigner talked about!”

“You saw that?” Set wondered aloud, and the look on Mana’s face was all he needed. “Or are you here to ask me about something else?”

“You haven’t left this room since our midday meal,” Mana said worriedly, gazing out the window and catching a few rays of orange sunlight filtering in through the satin curtains. “It is now supper time! They’re almost finished baking bread in the kitchen! I came to get you because Shadi asked me to.”

“Well you can tell him that I found nothing,” Set replied moodily, handing her the tablet and watching her press it to her chest. “And I won’t dine with everyone tonight. Please tell them that I am feeling unwell.”

“Oh…okay…” Mana said nervously, watching Set drift strangely to the door and disappear on the other side. Odd.  
There was odd behavior from everyone today.  
  
First, Shadi was behaving strangely, whispering with Rishid in the throne room, and this afternoon, Atem was acting strangely with Seto Kaiba after they had come back from their garden stroll, and now it was Set.  
Was there a sickness blanketing the palace?

Deciding to consult Mahad, Mana rushed out of the room, trying not to feel oddly left out. Atem usually told her everything that was happening.  
Why did it feel like she was missing out on something now?

* * *

Set made it safely back to his room and locked the door behind himself, breathing a soft sigh of relief.

Plan. Thoughts. Stay calm.  
What did Atem see in Seto Kaiba?

Suddenly furious, Set gave the low table in his room a vicious kick, watching it upturn and make a loud resounding crash.

The sound was satisfying, and he glanced around the room, his gaze landing on a porcelain vase.  
He wanted to grab it and throw it against the wall and watch it shatter into pieces.

In love? In _love_ with Pharaoh Atem?!  
How dare that man even suggest such a thing.  
This feeling was…jealousy.  
This feeling was anger.  
This wasn’t the feeling of…love.

There was a soft knock at his door, and he whirled around, contemplating shouting at the intruder, but he swallowed his rage with force before moving to answer it.

He pulled the door open a crack, expecting to see Atem, but to his displeasure, it was a maid.

“I-I heard something…a-are you alright, Priest?” she squeaked, her arms full of another royal’s laundry, and Set realized his tantrum had been heard when she was passing by his room.

“I’m fine.” Set said irritably, recognizing the blue sash hanging from her arms amidst the stack of neatly folded robes. “Whose garbs are those?”

“Ah…these are for the foreign guest, Mr. Kaiba,” she said, blushing slightly, and squeaked again in alarm when the priest snatched them out of her arms and slammed the door in her face.

“P-Priest Set?!” she cried shrilly, knocking frantically and wondering what had gotten into that man. He was always cold, but this was somehow worse behavior than anything she had ever experienced in her few short years of serving in the palace.

“Leave,” Set called over his shoulder, holding up Seto’s robes triumphantly, his mind already churning with several methods of sabotage.

Perhaps he could order a guard to fetch poison ivy from beyond the palace walls so he could rub it along the inner lining, especially in the area with his privates….

 _Or…_ Set continued gleefully, running his hand through the material, listing several species of cacti off the top of his head.  
  
No. Those were all too tame. And they could all possibly hurt Atem.  
  
He needed something so humiliating, it would stop Atem from wanting to see or even go near Seto Kaiba ever again.

* * *

Seto was bored, sitting on the edge of Atem’s bed, scrolling through his phone aimlessly.

Atem was as sharp as ever, and having seen the footprint and scuff marks on his robes, had asked if he and Set had fought. Unable to lie, Seto had just nodded silently and received an exasperated look.

 _“Change and look presentable before dinner,”_ were his instructions, so here he was, waiting on his ass for the maid to come by with fresh robes. What the fuck was taking her so damn long?

A knock sounded at the door and Kaiba tossed his phone onto the pillow. Finally.

He yanked it open and was displeased to find the turban-wearing man, Shadi, staring listlessly at him.

“Come with me,” Shadi said stiffly in his accented English. “It seems your maid hasn’t come by yet. This won’t take long.”

“Tell me here,” Seto replied impatiently, resisting the urge to slam the door in his face, and he received a tired glare.

“I don’t know how to explain it, so let me show you,” the man replied coldly, and gestured for him to follow. Rolling his eyes, Kaiba stepped out of the room and obliged, mildly surprised to see another man standing off to the side.

This man was tall, and had an enormous tattoo of odd scripture on the side of his face. He trailed behind them, emitting a threatening aura, and Seto felt himself sweat.  
  
Wait…maybe he should’ve picked up his phone from the bed.

Too late now. The face-tattoo man behind him was now matching every one of his steps, silently pushing him to walk faster.  
Fuck it.  
Whatever the fuck this was, he would take care of it quickly.  
   
If he was missing at dinner, Atem would come looking for him anyway.  
   
These men couldn’t touch him. After all, he was the king’s pet, wasn’t that what Atem had jokingly said to him the other day?

* * *

Atem drummed his fingers on the dining table impatiently, eyeing the several empty seats on the right side of the table.  
Rishid, Shadi, and Set were all absent.  
Seto was taking an unusually long while to change too.

The women were all present. Marik and Mahad were the only men on the right side of the table.

“Where is everyone?” Mana echoed Atem’s thoughts aloud, and she turned to him with bright eyes. “Oh! I forgot to tell you. Set said he wasn’t feeling well. But I don’t know about Rishid…”

“He said he wasn’t feeling well too,” Marik spoke up quietly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “There must be a new sickness going around with the arrival of the foreigner.”

“Seto Kaiba is healthy,” Atem said instantly, jumping to Kaiba’s defense. “I’ve never seen him sick a day in his life.”

“I’m sure,” Ishizu chimed in emptily, and several servants appeared around them, placing bowls of bread and soup on the table before backing away respectfully.

“Well I’m not eating until my guest of honor is seated,” Atem announced stubbornly, rising to his feet and Mana moved to stand as well.

He held a hand out to stop her. “Don’t follow me. Just eat until you are full.”

Atem turned to exit the dining hall and heard Mahad call after him.

“Would you like us to send a guard instead, Pharaoh?”

The king gave a dismissive wave over his shoulder and disappeared through the double-wide doors, striding quickly through the hallways, slightly irritated.

Seto was picking fights with Set in private. He knew that much. That was probably why Set had decided to skip dinner tonight.  
How long had that been going on without his knowledge?  
It must have been a recent development.  
  
As for Shadi, he was probably skipping the dinner to prepare for his long trip overseas, while Rishid was most likely the only one who was truly feeling unwell.

Reaching his bedroom door, Atem pushed it open gently, briefly seeing Seto standing by the window before all the lights went out, throwing the room into darkness, with nothing other than the twilight glowing outside his window outlining shapes of furniture in the room.

Frowning, Atem wondered if Seto was playing another strange game. If so, he wasn’t in the mood.

“Turn the damn lights back on and come to dinner,” Atem said, feeling as if he was talking to a badly trained dog.

Set was frozen in place with a mixture of fear and anxiety. He couldn't understand what the Pharaoh had said, but he sounded annoyed.  
Did…Atem think he was Seto?  
He was just putting the robes he had stolen back into this room because the maid had come to him in tears, telling him that these were the last clean pair she had.  
  
But, he was never supposed to be inside the King’s room by himself, let alone touch any of the furniture. His boundaries with Atem had changed since the prince had taken the throne, yet somehow, this stranger, this foreigner, Seto Kaiba, could barge in here on a private plane and sit on his bed?!  
  
Did this mean…he could sit on Atem’s bed too, and not be killed?!

“Seto, I’m not playing with you right now,” Atem sighed, exasperated, and he shut the door behind him, glaring at the motionless silhouette standing against the window.

 _Ah, he thinks I am him!_ Set fidgeted nervously, eyeing the light switch beside his elbow, his heart pounding loudly in his ears.

“Stop playing pretend-mute,” Atem growled, advancing on Kaiba and watching the tall figure dodge him and move towards the bed. “Stop it. You still haven’t had enough?”

Reaching the bed, Set sat down triumphantly on the edge, and his heart swelled with satisfaction. There. He had also sat on the Pharaoh’s bed.  
Now Atem would turn on the lights and see that it was really him, and not that ugly imposter.

To his complete and utter surprise, Atem rushed at him and nimbly climbed atop his lap, straddling his thighs. The king’s knees were sinking down on either side of his waist and hot hands shoved through his hair, yanking his head back so hard, his neck ached, and warm lips pressed down firmly over his own, followed by a silky tongue prodding thickly along the fronts of his teeth.

Stunned, light-headed, and unable to breathe, Set kept his teeth clenched tightly shut, wondering why he couldn't push Atem off him.  
Was it because…this felt…heavenly? Wonderful?  
Where did Atem learn how to kiss like this?!

He had kissed a few women before, but this…this was nothing like anything he had ever experienced.

Atem nibbled gently on Seto’s lower lip, inhaling deeply, wondering why Seto smelled different. It wasn’t a scent he recognized. No, actually…on second thought, he did recognize this scent.

He pulled away breathlessly and pressed his hands firmly against either side of Seto’s face, squeezing his cheeks playfully. “You smell like Set. Did you bathe? I thought I told you to change and get clean.”

Set blinked rapidly, his heart thundering so hard in his chest, it became a low hum. If he wasn’t mistaken, Atem had just said his name and the word ‘smell’ in the same sentence. Japanese was a difficult language to follow….

“Hey, speak!” Atem growled, contemplating pushing Seto down and fucking him until he relented. He hated Seto’s silent treatment. What made this man think that silence was an effective way to communicate when he was upset? Using words was what mattered.

“I-…I…” Set stammered, placing a hand on Atem’s chest and attempting to push him away, but the second his fingertips touched the cold jewels on his chestplate, he lost his composure and fell silent again.

 _“You what?”_ Atem asked quietly, switching to Arabic and daring himself to feel happy. Was Seto still trying to speak to him in his language? It had already been clear several days ago that Seto had the vocabulary of a child.

 _I’m not Seto Kaiba,_ Set finished darkly in his mind, and he moved to stand, thinking he had had enough of this joke, but Atem stiffened in his lap and kept him pinned down. His knees were trapped underneath Atem’s thighs.

Atem leaned forward to kiss Seto again, feeling Seto repeatedly tense and relax under his touch, and he wondered what had gotten into him.

He pulled away and trailed his hand down the front of Seto’s robes, pleased to discover that he could easily feel Seto’s bulge underneath the thin fabric. This was his main reason for putting Seto in these clothes. He wanted to slip his hand up Seto’s slender thigh and feel his balls.

 “Stop it…” Set said weakly, and to his horror, Atem let out a deep chuckle, pressing his forehead up against his, and a hot breath panned down his nose when the king spoke.

“Stop what?”

“Get off me,” Set said numbly, finally finding his strength and managing to give Atem a push, but Atem fought back with surprising strength and pinned him down on the bed, hovering triumphantly over him, his spiky hair barely visible in the darkness.  
  
Set blinked and blinked, his head spinning violently with confusion and arousal.  
What was happening?  
Was this real?  
What was happening?

“You’re still saying those words,” Atem replied, sounding hurt. He slowly dragged his hand down his Kaiba’s front to give his bulge a teasing squeeze through his robes, feeling Kaiba twitch and flinch underneath him. A strange…reaction. Was he still sensitive from this afternoon?

“Wh-What words?” Set cried, now fully panicking, wondering why Atem couldn’t recognize him, even in the dark. “It’s me, Pharaoh. It’s m—”

He was cut off with a rough kiss, followed by another throaty laugh.

“I’m not playing ‘Pharaoh’ with you anymore,” Atem said brattily, tousling Seto’s hair and enjoying the light floral scent that rose from it. “That got boring two days ago. Let’s do something else tonight.”

Realizing he was speaking too quickly in Arabic, Atem switched back to Japanese, planting another soft kiss on Kaiba’s cheek before moving to bite down playfully onto his earlobe. “How about…I suck you for as long as you can hold it?”

Not understanding a word, Set leaned away fearfully and eyed the door, wondering who would come knocking to save him, and he realized, there was no one.  
Shadi was busy scheming something with Rishid to distract Seto Kaiba, and here he was, trapped underneath the Pharaoh, being treated like…a wife!  
  
Meanwhile, Kaiba was making his way through the palace, fuming while trying to find a way back to his room.

What a fucking waste of his time. Turban and tattoo man had led him to what they called the “server room”, but it had turned out to be a tiny closet with a lone wooden table, messy wires, and eight blinking modems.

He had been left there and asked to “fix it or starve”.

There was nothing to fucking fix, so all he had done was reset each one, and organize the wires until they became one thick bundle running down one side of the table.    
The real problem now, was finding his way back to any room that looked familiar, because he was fucking lost.

Seeing a pair of cat statues, Kaiba strode towards them, thinking he had seen some exactly like this, four hallways back, but whatever. He was trying all the hallways with cat statues because that was the only thing he remembered about Atem’s hallway.

Finally noticing a familiar tapestry hanging at the far end, Kaiba breathed a deep sigh of relief.

That wasn’t too bad at all.  

He had found his way back.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Please let me know your thoughts! :D I put my heart and soul into this as usual!  
  
hueheuehue

[ **tumblr**](http://uglifish.tumblr.com) **|** **discord ugli#7509 |[tip jar](https://www.paypal.me/hellopiko) | [patreon](https://www.patreon.com/ugli)**  
  
edited by ylje

Hugs,  
Ugli

 


	36. and

Set couldn't breathe, think, or function.

Atem had nuzzled his way up his thigh and underneath his robes, and his spiky hair was tickling him the closer he got to his center, and he wondered if he ought to kick out at him.

A warm hand palmed his erection and gave him a few loving strokes, and Set felt his head spin wonderfully. Hot, delicious shocks of pleasure ran up and down his body every time Atem moved his hand along his girth, and he suppressed a shiver.  
  
He was going to die for this, but he found that he didn’t care anymore.

Maybe this was how the foreigner felt. Seto Kaiba wasn’t a stupid man. He surely knew that touching the Pharaoh meant death…but if death felt like this…then…he would gladly die a thousand times.

“Still mute?” Atem asked devilishly, giving Seto’s balls a firm knead and enjoying the way they melted in his palms. He heard Seto let out a huff of air, clearly trying to hide his happiness.

Set’s robe was pushed upwards suddenly, and the fabric bunched at his hips as Atem moved with surprising ease, clamping his mouth down onto his dick, and a tongue swirled thickly in and around his slit, sending more violent jolts of pleasure up and down his entire body.

A-Amazing. The king’s mouth…was on his shaft.

Atem bobbed his head gently and gave Seto another powerful suck, thinking that Seto tasted like the herbal bath Set enjoyed using so much. Had…Seto stolen soaps from Set’s bathroom? Was that why they had been fighting?!

Strong hands came down into his hair and gripped him tightly, holding him in place while thighs pressed firmly into his cheeks, and Seto’s voice came from above, sounding unusually humble.

_“Please…don’t stop. It feels good…”_

Was Seto still insisting they play ‘Pharaoh’?  
So be it.  
Smirking, Atem surged forward and repeatedly ran his tongue roughly along the underside of Seto’s dick, enjoying the way his thighs were trembling on either side of him.

Kaiba pushed the bedroom door open and his heart stopped in his chest at the sight of Atem’s spiky head buried between Set’s legs.

Set was bent forward with his shoulders shaking, and he jerked his head up the second he saw light coming from the door, and his face twisted in shock and horror when their eyes met.

Atem jerked his head back, horrified to see Set standing at the doorway of his room.

“Set!” Atem shouted angrily, his body burning with humiliation and rage. “Get the fuck out!”

Kaiba’s mouth dropped open in shock, slowly piecing together the situation.

  
Atem had called him Set.

  
And Atem…was sucking Set’s dick…thinking Set was him?!

  
That motherfucking imposter…had fucking _lied_ to him this afternoon, and he had stupidly fallen for it!

He strode across the room towards the light switch, but Atem blocked his way, fuming.

“Get out, get the fuck out!” Atem cried, his chin slick with saliva, and Kaiba grabbed Atem by the arm, dragging him out of the room and into the dimly lit sitting area.

“Look at me!” Kaiba hissed, shaking him viciously and using the side of his arm to roughly wipe the saliva off of Atem’s chin, his stomach twisting with a mixture of rage and arousal. “Do I fucking look like _Set_ to you?!”

Atem froze, his heart pounding loudly in his ears as he gazed up into Seto’s pale, handsome face which was clouded with rage.  
  
Oh…no.  
No. No. No…. Oh no.

“I…” Atem’s knees weakened significantly, and he watched as Kaiba stormed into this room, absolutely beside himself.  
  
Set couldn't pull his robes over his erection fast enough before Kaiba stalked into the room with murder in his eyes.

 _“Fuck you,”_ Kaiba hissed, tackling Set down onto the bed, and Set’s cheek stung with a vicious slap that made him see stars. “You motherf—"

“Seto, please…please don’t fight. They’ll hear!” Atem whispered hoarsely, shutting the door behind him and rushing at the bed, attempting to pry Kaiba off of his priest, who was already limp with fear.

Set felt the weight of Seto Kaiba being dragged off him, and he sat up dizzily, thanking the Pharaoh in his mind just as the light flashed on in the room, causing his eyes to sting.

“What did he do to you?” Kaiba demanded, running his palms up and down Atem’s arms, raking his eyes across his tanned skin, looking for marks, but finding none.

“N-Nothing…I am fine!” Atem insisted, lacing his fingers through Kaiba’s slender ones and holding on tightly, deeply afraid that Kaiba would never forgive him for this mistake. “Please don’t be angry.”

Set watched this exchange fearfully, his eyes darting between Seto Kaiba’s furious expression and Atem’s pleading eyes. He had…misunderstood this relationship greatly. Who was in charge here?! It wasn’t Atem? Or was it…?

Atem was speaking rapid-fire Japanese, clearly explaining himself, and Set couldn't help but feel a twinge of longing. Why couldn't Atem speak this freely in front of him?! And in their own language?

“So it’s his fault,” Kaiba said nastily, rounding on the priest. He had heard enough from Atem to know what the fuck had happened.

Set swallowed nervously and eyed the door again, but Kaiba blocked his view, advancing towards him on the bed with a menacing look, speaking Arabic in a terrifying accent.

“You fucking lied to me,” Seto said coldly, ignoring Atem tugging anxiously on his arm, and he shook him off with an angry hiss.

This man needed a good pounding to know his place.

“I did not lie, and it was a mistake,” Set said hastily in English, inching deeper into the bed, thinking he would back away, and then dart to the side to get to the door.

“No, it was _his_ mistake, but you knew the entire fucking time,” Kaiba hissed, feeling Atem’s warm hand wrap around his elbow, restraining him from leaping onto the bed to murder his dark-skinned lookalike.

“Let go of me, Atem.”

“Don’t kill him,” Atem said seriously, and Kaiba turned to him, his eyes gleaming strangely.

“How does he taste?” Kaiba asked nastily, watching Atem blink nervously at him.  
Nevermind. He could find out himself.  
  
He bent down to kiss Atem deeply, feeling him stiffen momentarily before responding enthusiastically, and Kaiba could taste an odd tang on Atem’s breath.  
It wasn’t semen, but it was something else, and it didn’t taste too bad.

Set watched apprehensively, sliding one leg off the edge of the bed, trying his best to make as little noise as possible. If Seto Kaiba wanted to act possessive in front of him, fine. He would quietly escape….

Atem felt Kaiba pull away, and watched him circle the bed like a hungry fox, stalking his prey—Set.

Set swallowed tightly and froze, wondering why Seto Kaiba was blocking his way to the door. He had already been slapped and almost choked to death…was this man trying to kill him?! And why wasn’t Prince Atem stopping him?

Kaiba advanced on Set and eased himself onto the bed.

Set backed away nervously on all fours, accidently flashing Seto Kaiba his front, and his heart pounded so fast, his entire body ached with fear.

“Know your place,” Kaiba sneered, grabbing onto Set’s tanned ankle and feeling the man freeze beneath his touch. “You look exactly like me…but you will never be me.”

“I don’t want to be you,” Set shot back bravely, but his entire body was trembling and he glanced frantically at Atem, who was standing motionless at the foot of the bed. “Pharaoh!”

“Don’t fucking talk to him,” Kaiba hissed, grabbing Set’s other ankle, and Set kicked out at him, causing his wrist to twist painfully. Cursing, Kaiba lunged at Set and pinned him down by the shoulders, enjoying the way his light brown hair mussed up underneath his head. Hot.

 _I look quite handsome like that,_ Kaiba thought vainly, wrestling Set down to keep him on the mattress. That was probably why Atem enjoyed topping him so much. How could he blame him?

“Get off me…you heathen!” Set yelled, struggling to breathe as Seto Kaiba’s weight on top of him grew heavier, and he hoped someone would burst into the room to save him, but a tiny part of him knew that that wouldn’t happen. “Pharaoh! Order him to stop!”

Atem blinked steadily, numb all over and rooted to the spot with a mixture of pity and arousal churning low in his chest.

“Yeah, call your Pharaoh,” Kaiba jeered, straddling Set tightly down on the bed, panting heavily, his head spinning with adrenaline at his victory. “I think you and I need to have another talk.”

“I--there is nothing to talk about,” Set managed weakly, propping himself up on his elbows and glaring up into an eerily familiar face. “Let me up and I won’t have you killed.”

“I want to hear you say three things…” Kaiba continued arrogantly, reaching a hand down and grabbing a fistful of Set’s hair, yanking his head back and earning a startled cry. “First, say ‘I was wrong’. Second, an ‘I’m sorry’, and third…”

Atem wavered dangerously on the spot, his blood rushing to his head, clouding his rational thoughts. He was witnessing…something incredibly arousing.

“I won’t say such nonsense,” Set hissed, wondering if he ought to spit in Seto Kaiba’s face to get him to back away, and he turned to Atem again for help. “Please…Prince…”

“Oh, it’s _‘prince’_ now, is it?” Seto laughed mirthlessly, and Set’s hair raised along his arms. He was in trouble….

“Hey, _Prince_ ,” Kaiba grinned boyishly at Atem, his teeth gleaming white in the semi-darkness. “Come here and hold his shoulders down.”

Set shook his head so hard, his neck ached. Atem was going to _help_ this bastard?!

Horrified, he watched Atem approach the bed silently and obediently climb up behind him. Hot knees grazed along the shell of his ear and warm hands pressed down on his shoulders as Seto Kaiba’s weight lifted away from his chest.

“No…w-wait…!” Set cried, confusion blanketing him thickly, and he craned his neck back, seeing Atem’s spiky-haired silhouette above him. “Are you going let him kill me?!”

“Why the fuck would I want to do that?” Kaiba asked lightly, only understanding two words from that sentence, and he ran his hand up Set’s tanned leg, enjoying the way muscles tensed and rippled underneath his palm.

“Don’t…touch me…you foreign _germ!_ Atem! He’s touching me!” Set yelped, attempting to thrash himself free, but Kaiba sat firmly on his knees and Atem was still holding him down with surprising strength.  
Was this… a prank? A joke? Perhaps Atem was just playing?

Atem was deaf to Set’s pleas. His mind was buzzing with a strange sound the second he saw Kaiba’s slide his hand up Set’s front to grope him shamelessly underneath his robes before bunching the fabric up to reveal Set’s semi-hard penis.

“That didn’t do it. He didn’t like that,” Seto said plainly, addressing Atem and meeting his gaze.

Atem blinked slowly at him, his mouth moving on its own.

“Try using your mouth.” And he received a boyish grin as Seto replied, “If he tastes bad, I’ll blame you.”

Set’s chest rose and fell heavily with each breath as he glanced nervously between Atem behind his head, and down at Seto Kaiba between his knees, hovering threateningly above his exposed erection.  
He couldn't understand a word they were saying!  
What were they saying?  
Were they going to cut his penis off because Atem had touched him there?!

“There is one difference,” Kaiba said loftily, grazing his knuckles along Set’s pubic hair, watching his stomach clench and roll in response. “He’s darker here.”  
  
And he dipped his head down to take Set’s length in his mouth, hearing the man let out a startled shout above him before it was quickly muffled, and he paid that no mind, inhaling deeply and giving Set’s dick a powerful suck, letting the strange, herbal fragrance fill his lungs.  
  
What the fuck was this…? This guy smelled like incense and flowers.  
There was no way Atem couldn't tell the difference, even in the dark.

He pulled off and made sure to graze his teeth along the slit of Set’s dick before looking up to glare at Atem, shocked to see Set’s arm raised above his head, locked around Atem’s neck, kissing him softly.  
His stomach twisted strangely at this sight, and Kaiba continued to stare, ignoring the wet dick twitching underneath his chin.  
  
It was like watching a movie, staring himself kissing Atem.  
He spitefully gave Set’s balls a rough knead, and was pleased to see tanned knees trembling and jerking upwards in response.

Set wondered if he had died.  
His body was betraying him in the worst ways. The moment Seto Kaiba’s mouth touched his shaft, his mind turned blank, and Atem’s mouth came down heavily onto his, the sweetness of his breath smothering him wonderfully.  
Atem was…kissing him! Willingly!  
And moments after his mind had that tiny celebration, his entire lower body felt like it was being melted off by every teasing upwards stroke of a silky tongue caressing his slit before swirling magnificently around his head.  
Th-That was…Seto Kaiba’s mouth…! It was no wonder this man spoke so rudely. His mouth was filthy, and it was making him feel like he was sinning.  
A cold hand shoved up his shirt and began pinching and twisting his left nipple, sending violent shocks of heat up and down his chest, but he couldn't shout because Atem’s tongue was in his mouth, sensually roaming along the backs of his teeth.

Atem could feel Set twitching and shivering in his arms, and he relished in Set’s hesitant kisses, and the soft tongue that kept hiding behind teeth, clearly uneager to meet his. Kissing Set was like kissing a frightened animal. Set needed some more training.  
  
The hot wetness around his shaft had disappeared and Set struggled to pry his eyes open, feeling Atem pull away and give him one last lick along his bottom lip before speaking to Seto Kaiba again. He strained his ears, attempting to understand what they were saying.

“He’s frightened,” Atem said worriedly, trying not to let the curl of disappointment in his chest grow. “How do I make his tongue meet mine?”

“You force him,” Kaiba growled, curling his fingers around Set’s dick and giving it a few vicious pumps, seeing his twin throw his head so far back in ecstasy that only his sharp chin was visible. “Yeah, you like that? You slimy…”

“A-Atem…” Set panted, fighting the heavy jolts of pleasure raking through his body coming from Seto Kaiba’s hand. He gazed at the Pharaoh above him through half-lidded eyes, seeing his face upside-down in the semi-darkness, the tips of his spiky-hair blurring in his vision.

“Seto, switch with me,” Atem said firmly, lovingly brushing the hair out of Set’s eyes and meeting Kaiba’s dark stare. “My turn.”

“No, you’ve already had your turn,” Kaiba replied selfishly, and he heard Atem hiss at him in irritation.

“I said, switch,” Atem growled, rising to his knees unsteadily, his mind and body heavy with arousal. “Make him kiss with tongue, and then we will switch back.”

Set blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision of the stars that kept dotting the edges of his vision, feeling exhausted as Atem released him and edged around his body. Wh-Where was he going?

Seto Kaiba moved quick, too quickly, and in a flash, Set found his head immobilized between Kaiba’s knees, and a cold thumb rested on his chin, prying his lower lip downwards, and hot mouth pressed against his own once more, but this time felt entirely different from when Atem was kissing him.  
Kaiba’s teeth and tongue were everywhere, sometimes along the shell of his ear, other times, nibbling along his top and bottom lip before traveling down his neck to give his collarbone a sensual lick.

Kaiba gave Set’s earlobe a threatening bite, and he hissed in his ear. _“Atem wants to kiss with tongue, so you better fucking kiss with tongue.”_

 _Why should I believe you?!_ Set cried in his mind, but he didn’t have time to compose himself before a searing heat engulfed his core, and he realized Atem was now the one sucking him down there, because the motions were gentle, and the touches were soft. 

Meanwhile, Seto Kaiba took this chance to shove his tongue thickly in past his teeth, prodding rudely in the corners of his mouth, and a pair of cold fingers pinched his nipples too painfully.

Set thrust his tongue out angrily against the intrusion of Kaiba’s tongue in his mouth, and was met with teeth clamping down on his tip, sucking and rolling him firmly so much that his stomach clenched and dipped with a building orgasm as Atem’s mouth tightened around the base of his dick, causing a wonderful pressure to rise inside of him.  
Too much.  It was all too much.  
Atem’s mouth…was on his privates…and Seto Kaiba’s kissing, was somehow even more exquisite….  
Was this their plan from the beginning?!  
  
Set felt Kaiba pull away breathlessly and grin at Atem, speaking in a low, excited tone.

“I got him to kiss with tongue.” Kaiba smiled evilly, and Atem didn’t pause in his motions, bringing his head down against Set’s dick so hard, he felt the tip hit the back of his throat, and he could feel Set’s thighs tensing mightily beneath him. Delicious. What a wonderful reaction!

“Hey…hey, that’s enough,” Kaiba snapped, digging his nails into Set’s shoulder, thinking Atem was enjoying himself too much. “Switch.”  
  
Atem shook his head stiffly, not pulling his mouth away from Set’s erection, giving his balls a soft knead before tilting his head to the side to gently suck along the shaft, batting his eyelashes at Kaiba, knowing that the CEO enjoyed watching him.

A rough hand slipped through the back of Atem’s hair and yanked his head up and away from Set’s dick.

Atem heard Set let out a soft grunt underneath him, and Kaiba’s face appeared in his vision before he found himself being kissed deeply and passionately, tasting Set on Kaiba’s breath.  
Oh…this felt…amazing. Set’s dick, and Kaiba’s mouth…maybe both of them at the same time would make him orgasm so hard, he would ascend to heaven!

Set narrowed his eyes at the scene above him, trying to calm his pounding heart.  
His erection was standing at attention, shining slick with saliva, being neglected by Atem, while his lips swelled and burned at the loss of contact from Kaiba, who was busy kissing Atem.  
He felt oddly left out, because the attention had been shifted away from him, and he continued to watch Kaiba’s hands roam down Atem’s front, finding his nipples through the fabric and pinching them playfully.  
Set felt his cheeks burn as Atem steadily moved to straddle him while still connected at the lips with Kaiba and he looked away so fast, his neck ached.

There was a soft rustle, and Atem could feel Set shifting uncomfortably underneath him.  
  
Kaiba could also feel Set squirming impatiently beneath him, and he pulled Atem closer, intent on showing Set that Atem belonged to him.

“Turn around,” Kaiba breathed, caressing Atem’s toned arm and enjoying the way his muscles tensed excitedly at his touch.

“Around?” Atem asked curiously, his mind on Set flexing and straining underneath him.

Kaiba leaned away and grinned, pointing down at Set’s face before saying, “Straddle him the way you do for me, but raise your ass to my mouth.”

Atem nodded mutely and unclipped his cloak, and Set watched with increasing horror as the king tossed it aside and let it slide to the floor unceremoniously.  
T-The king’s cloak…just carelessly…thrown on the floor…! A sin was happening before his very eyes!

Stunned beyond belief, Set watched as Atem padded his way across his body and shifted, turning around until he was sitting with his back facing him, speaking in a questioning tone, and a commanding tone came from behind his head, from Seto Kaiba, and Set watched with increasing trepidation as Atem raised up on his knees and inched his ass towards his chin.

Conflicted, Set turned his head away, his cheeks and ears burning with embarrassment. Such an indecent position for the Pharaoh to be in….

His head was twisted around to painfully to face forward by a pair of cold hands on his chin and forehead, and Seto Kaiba threatened him in English. “You look, and you understand what this is.”

“I...understand,” Set growled in response. This was the king’s ass. He didn’t have the right look upon it.

Atem’s ass was inching closer to his chin, and Set held his breath as Atem’s ass passed over his chin, and rested lightly above his mouth, such that his nose was pressed between his soft asscheeks.  
Unsure if he could breathe, Set felt as if his lungs were about to explode from him holding his breath.  
Atem’s ass…was on his face.  
Atem’s ass was on his face. Something wonderfully soft was resting on his chin, and the scent of sex was heavy in the air.  
Was Seto Kaiba trying to smother him to death using the king’s ass?

Atem settled comfortably on Set’s face, enjoying the hot breath grazing against his hole between his ass cheeks, and he stared at the tip of Set’s erection which was leaking pitifully. Too bad he couldn't reach him with his mouth…

He felt Kaiba’s hands spreading him and rolling up the hem of his robe, and he heard Set let out a defiant gasp before Kaiba’s voice sounded behind him, “Shut up. You’ll enjoy this.”

Atem gazed longingly at Set’s dick, just out of reach, and he turned around to tell Kaiba. “I want to touch…his…”

“Wait.” Came the impatient response, and Set blinked rapidly, still not understanding a word, but he couldn't form a coherent string of thought, because Atem’s balls were hanging inches above his nose, and a pale middle finger was thrusting vigorously into his hole, and this was all happening right between his eyes.  
  
Atem sank down onto his elbows and pressed his cheek down onto Set’s abdomen, panting excitedly and enjoying the heated waves of pleasure coming from Kaiba’s finger inside him, twisting and swirling enthusiastically, and he felt Kaiba press downwards onto his prostate too suddenly, and he spasmed involuntarily, letting out a soft hiss.

Set’s eyes began to water, and his body burned with a strange fire as he continued to stare at Kaiba’s hand thrusting into Atem’s ass. His dick throbbed terribly, aching to be touched, and Atem’s weight on top of him was too arousing, he didn’t want to move, otherwise he would lose sight of the wonderful action happening above his nose.

He felt the bed dip and shift suddenly behind his head, and he jerked his head up, but Kaiba’s hand came down painfully on his forehead, forcing his head back down onto the pillows.

“Stay.”  
  
Set blinked, forgetting to breathe as he watched Kaiba’s dick appear above his forehead, and slowly ease its way into Atem, and a strange ringing filled his ears, mingling with Atem’s pleasurable cries. Atem’s hands were gripping his hips so firmly, his skin burned, and a hot, tight mouth came down onto his dick so suddenly, he almost came.

Kaiba smirked triumphantly, barely able to see Set’s shocked reaction between Atem’s legs, and he rocked his hips forward happily, earning another sharp gasp from Atem, and a wide-eyed stare from Set. Did this guy understand yet?  
Atem…was…his….  
And Kaiba lost himself in the hot threads of ecstasy running up and down his thighs every time Atem’s hole clenched around the base of his dick, and he stared intently at the way Atem’s spiky head was dipped down between Set’s trembling thighs. He was about to cum, and wished there was a mirror at the end of the bed, so he could see Set’s dick in Atem’s mouth.

Set couldn't see or think straight, because Atem’s tongue was flicking teasingly over his slit, over and over again without mercy, and he could see cum gathering at the rim of Atem’s ass as Kaiba came thickly. A drop of semen landed on his cheek, the scent causing his stomach to churn and flip violently with an orgasm.

Kaiba glanced down between his legs, pleased to see Set’s flushed expression underneath Atem, and he paused in his motions, feeling Atem squirm, so he gave the pharaoh a few more steady thrusts before carefully extracting himself, fixating on the way Set’s chest was heaving up and down with excitement at what he had just witnessed.

Atem collapsed weakly and pressed his cheek down gently on Set’s thigh, thoroughly spent but at the same time, mesmerized by the quivering erection Set was still sporting, and it was slick with cum and Atem’s saliva.

How surreal. He had just sucked Set dry, while Seto was inside him….

There was a gentle pat on the back of his thigh, and cold hands pulled Atem into an upright position.

Seto had managed to edge off the bed so he could carefully lift Atem off of Set’s limp body, and carry him into the bath.

Set struggled to sit up, his head spinning violently the second Atem’s weight left his chest, and he watched the pair disappear into the bathroom. The door shut with an audible _click!_ and a ringing silence followed.

The priest thumped his head back onto Atem’s pillows, the scent from their sex wafted up around him, and Set rolled over onto his side, trying to hold his breath but failing because his heart was still pounding thickly in his chest, making regular breaths of air hard to take.

Gripping the edge of the sheets, he forced himself to calm down, desperately ignoring the thick wetness that was slowly drying between his thighs.

That was his own essence, which was dripping onto the king’s bed.

A sickly-sweet stench blanketed the air, and Set shut his eyes, breathing steadily, realizing he was covered in fluids from head to toe.

Seto Kaiba’s semen on was on his cheek and in his hair, also drying quickly.  
  
Atem’s semen stained the entire front of his chest, half of it on his skin, the other on the front of his robes.

Unsure of what to do with himself, Set stayed very still and listened to the sounds of running water. Atem’s gentle laugh echoing through the walls caused his stomach to turn.

They were carrying on in the bath as usual, as if nothing had happened.

 _I’ve been assaulted!_ Set realized with a cold trickling horror, his heart not slowing a beat as it continued to pound painfully in his chest.

Those two had…used him as a rag for their sexual fluids and forced him to watch them engage in the activity.  
Could they have released elsewhere? Yes.  
But Set was sure that Seto Kaiba releasing in his hair was intentional.

Breathing shallowly, Set sat up carefully again and inched his legs over the edge of Atem’s bed, shivering with a mixture of cold and fear.

He had to leave. If he stayed another second, Seto Kaiba might come out and demand something more from him and….

Set trembled at the thought of Kaiba entering him from behind the way he had done to Atem just moments ago.

 _I would sooner die_ , Set vowed to himself, his toes touching the cold floor right as the door to the bathroom swung open and Atem emerged in a cloud of steam, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

Atem paused and blinked, registering that Set was still on the bed before he turned to throw a bright smile at Kaiba coming up behind him, also wearing nothing but a towel. “I win, Seto. He is still here.”

“Damn,” Kaiba hissed, tugging the towel off of his waist and draping it over his head to dry his hair, his cheeks burning with a mixture of humiliation and anger.

So his show of ownership didn’t work. That bastard had stayed...probably hoping for more. On top of that, he had lost a bet to Atem.

Set jerked his head away quickly to stare at the opposite end of the room the second Kaiba’s towel left his waist and he heard a chuckle from Atem that made the hair rise along his arms.

“Wash up, Set,” Atem said carelessly, moving towards the bed and leaning against the side. “I need to sit. Move.”

Set leapt off the bed and made a desperate dash for the bathroom, hearing Kaiba insult him as he passed, but he willed himself not to react as he shut the door behind him firmly, feeling like a trapped animal.

Atem sat down gingerly on the edge of his bed and eyed Kaiba headily, noticing the same sour look that he wore every time Set was involved.

“It wasn’t good?” Atem ventured carefully, hearing Kaiba let out an arrogant huff of air and remain quiet.

Here it was again, the silent treatment.

“Well, I enjoyed it,” Atem shrugged nonchalantly and ran a hand over the bedsheets, checking for stains and patches of wet semen. “…So, as loser of the wager, you will treat him gently.”

“Can’t do that,” Kaiba answered flatly, moving towards the bed and sweeping his gaze over the tousled sheets which looked unusually clean.

Well, he had purposely cum in Set’s hair, and Atem had cum on Set’s chest…did that imposter even cum? Or was that bastard too busy watching and was now finishing himself quietly in the bathroom?

“There’s no wetness!” Atem exclaimed, sounding quite perplexed, but pleased.

Kaiba eased himself onto the bed and snaked his arms around Atem’s naked waist, pulling him down beside him into the pillows with a soft _pof!_ and nuzzled his nose into the crook of his neck, inhaling his exotic scent deeply.

“Sleep,” Kaiba insisted, throwing one leg over Atem’s thighs, pinning him in place. “Forget him. He will walk out when he sees us both asleep.”

“Another wager,” Atem countered quietly, hearing something clang loudly through the wall, and he could only deduce that Set had probably dropped something in his haste. “He will climb into the bed with us.”

“…With no legs because I will have broken them both,” Kaiba responded aggressively, curling his fingertips into the soft skin of Atem’s hips.

“So you agree?” Atem smiled mischievously in the semi-darkness, his angular violet eyes gleaming enticingly. “That he will climb into bed with us?”

“Do you _want_ that?” Kaiba growled, tensing and feeling all vestiges of sleep leaving his body as anger slowly took its place.  
He wouldn’t put it past his imposter to try and double-dip for seconds.  
  
But if Atem was fine with it, the he would have to make sure Set really knew his place in this bed, and that was… _beneath him._

Set leaned his ear against the door, straining to hear something…anything, but was met with silence. The door was too thick. Had they fallen asleep? Was it safe to sneak past them and exit the room with the last shreds of his dignity?

Because he was no longer wearing the top half of his robes which had been stained with Atem’s semen, so he would have to make it back to his room undetected by the maid…or anyone for that matter.

He quietly turned the handle and inched the door open, listening for sounds of movement. Hearing nothing, he stepped out of the bathroom and strode quickly towards the door, his gaze burning into the golden handle at the end of the room.

Ignore the bed. Do not look.

Atem watched Set walk resolutely to the door and rest his hand on the knob, his arm shaking visibly in the dark.

“Set,” Atem whispered hoarsely, feeling Seto quietly shift beside him in his sleep and he patted the empty space on the bed. “Come, let’s talk.”

Set curled his fingers around the door handle and swayed dangerously on the spot, his ears ringing.

There was a long, heavy silence before Atem spoke up again, frowning worriedly.

“Set, please. Are you angry with me? Do you hate me?”

Set blinked, his own hand blurring in his vision as his eyes heated up strangely.

Anger? Hate?

He wasn’t currently experiencing any of those emotions. Instead, he was excited, fearful, embarrassed, aroused, and…extremely unsatisfied.

Atem watched Set turn to smile at him with a strange expression, his blue eyes unusually dark.

“I could never hate you, my prince,” he said seriously, and Atem gestured him towards the bed once more.

Set hesitated and contemplated it for one moment before changing his mind.

He wanted to lay in bed with the king, but…he knew it was something highly forbidden, especially considering how he was a member of his court, _and_ they were both males.

But Seto Kaiba could probably get away with it, pleading ignorance as a foreigner.

Shaking his head roughly, Set pulled the door open, letting warm yellow light spill into the dark room, and he heard Atem growl at him from behind.

“Set, close the door. That’s an order.”

Cold sweat ran down the back of the priest’s neck as he stiffened his arm, forcing himself to ease the door shut, throwing the room back into semi-darkness, with nothing but the silvery moon filtering in through the tall windows as light.

“Come here and lay down,” Atem insisted, growing excited at the thought of waking up and seeing two Seto look-alikes on either side of him in bed.

Set turned around slowly and eyed the edge of the bed, his mouth growing dry as he swallowed nervously.

He wanted to.  
He didn’t want to.  
He really wanted to.  
He really didn’t want to.

“…That’s an order,” Atem added carelessly, patting the spot on the bed with impatience. “Now.”

Set tried speaking several times before he found his voice, and he whispered hoarsely, not wanting to wake Seto Kaiba. “My king…you can’t…you can’t—”

 _…Order me to sin_ , Set finished halfheartedly in his mind, but his stomach was already churning with excitement. Maybe...this meant that Atem loved him more than Seto Kaiba, and he could steal Atem away into his own room if he played his cards right.

If this was what Atem wanted…then as his right-hand man, he would happily oblige!

Atem nodded encouragingly, pleased to see Set approach the edge of the bed obediently, watching his knees sink into the soft mattress, and his demeanor changed instantly.

 A tanned, ring-adorned hand crept toward Atem’s leg and rested lightly on his knee.

Set’s eyes were unusually dark, and Atem smiled pleasantly at his priest, secretly pleased at the sudden change of heart.

 _I can do better than that man_ , Set thought nervously to himself, doing his best to ignore Kaiba’s soft breathing coming from the other side of the bed.

He bravely leaned forward to kiss the pharaoh, holding his breath tightly as their lips met, and his stomach dipped violently when Atem’s warm hands snaked through his hair, pulling him steadily closer.

Atem’s lips were soft and inviting, and he tasted like a wonderful exotic nectar.  
  
Struggling to breathe, Set shifted uncomfortably on the bed and inched closer to Atem, rising up on his knees and reaching forward with both hands to grab the king’s slender shoulders, feeling him tense slightly before he gave them a warm squeeze.

Pulling out of the kiss, he threw his arms around Atem and drew him into a tight embrace, trying to calm his thundering heart which was beating so fast, it was beginning in to hurt.

Set felt Atem push him away lightly, his body shaking with silent laughter.

“Stop that,” Atem said playfully, thinking it felt odd to be held so gently, and Set didn’t loosen his grip.

“I…you…” Set said quietly, his voice muffled into Atem’s shoulder, and Atem frowned, shrugging Set off of him and giving him a firm shove, but Set fought him stubbornly.

They wrestled each other silently before Set was rolled heavily onto his side as Atem pinned him down tightly, his spiky hair outlined wonderfully above him in in the semi-darkness.

 “What is the matter with you?” Atem hissed, squeezing his knees threateningly against Set’s hips. His priest tensed underneath him, and the arousing feeling was too familiar.

The way his light brown hair fell away from his face was too familiar.

The wide-eyed, slightly desperate look in his blue eyes was familiar.

Unable to help himself, Atem surged forward and kissed Set deeply, gripping his head in both of his hands, holding him firmly in place while his tongue roamed bravely past the fronts of his teeth to sensually lick the roof of his mouth.

Atem pulled away and Set propped himself up on his elbows breathlessly, gazing up into Atem’s face and finally managing to speak.

“What do you see in that man? I can do everything he can for you.”

Atem blinked and glared hotly. “No you can’t,” he said bluntly.

“I can!” Set insisted, louder this time. He was no longer afraid of waking Seto Kaiba sleeping peacefully beside them. Atem sitting on top of him was proof that he was being willingly touched!

Atem’s expression was unreadable as he dragged a hand up Set’s thigh, bunching his robes up around hips and letting the fabric catch on a very visible erection as he responded with conviction, “Seto can do things for me that other no man can.”

Enraged upon hearing this, Set reached out and grabbed Atem’s arm, pulling him down into a heated kiss with tongue and teeth, eager to prove himself.

Atem smiled into the kiss, enjoying Set’s newfound enthusiasm. The way Set kissed was innocent and warm; nothing like the way Kaiba would kiss, often using more teeth. And there were no sweet, lingering moments, like there were now, with Set, who would press himself tightly up against his body and tenderly trail his lips down his chin and across his jawline.

Atem’s mind hummed pleasantly as Set’s warm breath sent a shiver down his spine, and his priest pulled away to rest his cheek on his chest, listening to the loud beating of the king’s heart.

The pace is different, Set though darkly, steadily counting the thumps underneath his ear as he tried to quell his anxiety. His own heart was racing a thousand beats per minute, but Atem’s was a steady thrum. The pharaoh was clearly calmer about this than he was, and that thought unnerved him.

“I…adore you…” Set whispered, wrapping his arms firmly around Atem’s waist and turning his gaze upwards, meeting the pharaoh’s angular violet eyes which were slightly wide with shock.

“I adore you too,” Atem answered simply, throwing Kaiba’s sleeping form a nervous glance, thinking if Kaiba opened his eyes to witness this scene, there would be hell to pay.

Set felt Atem tense and attempt to push him away, but he held on tighter, his eyes heating up with emotion as he tried to express himself accurately. “I’ve always been by your side…. even as children, we’ve—”

“Shut up,” Atem interrupted, his expression darkening, and he lowered his voice, reaching down to grab Set’s wrist and pressing the palm of the priest’s hand against his cheek.

Set blinked rapidly, his voice caught tightly. The pharaoh’s skin was hot.

Atem slid his hand down lower on his face before stopping at his throat, his angular eyes narrowed into such threatening slits, he almost unrecognizable, and Set suppressed a terrified shiver.

“You’ve always treated me like a child, Set,” Atem said coldly, forcefully shoving Set’s hand higher against his own throat, enjoying the way Set’s arm trembled in his grasp. “You would never do _this_ to me, or show me unthinkable pleasure in the most unfathomable ways…”

Unable to speak, Set watched helplessly as Atem maneuvered his hand away from his neck and back up to his face, pressing his lips tightly into the center of his palm, and a silky tongue flicked out to lick him.

Startled, Set gasped and jerked his hand back, seeing Atem smirking knowingly above him.

“But you know who can? He can,” Atem nodded at the back of Kaiba’s hair splayed out on the mattress, inches away from Set’s elbow, and Set shook his head weakly, his erection aching and throbbing painfully between his legs. Why…why did he feel this way…?!

“You say you can do everything he can do for me?” the pharaoh continued ruthlessly, nodding at the tiny bottle of body oil sitting innocently on the nightstand. “Grab that and give it to me.”

Set moved without thinking, reaching out to the side to wrap his fingers around the bottle and handing it to Atem, wondering if he would regret that action later, but this was fine.

Atem…was a gentle lover, right?

Just as that thought left his mind, Set found the hem of his robes bunched up around his hips and Atem had generously coated his hand in the oil and was bringing his hand up and down along his erection, giving his dick a slow, sensual rub, and Set pressed hand to his mouth to suppress an excited gasp that almost escaped from his throat.

 _Wait…!_ Set thought worriedly, throwing an anxious glance at the rolled-up lump that was Seto Kaiba, still blissfully asleep beside him.

“I can only show you an inkling of what I’ve learned,” Atem said deeply, no longer whispering. “I am still learning, but here…for you, Set…”

Hot hands padded up his chest and found his nipples, pinching and rolling them playfully while a warm sensation engulfed his lower body, and Set grimaced as something stung underneath his balls. He realized it was Atem’s knee, nudging his thighs apart, and his body froze unwillingly.

Wait… wait! It was fine down there with mouth...and tongue…but, was Atem going to enter him?!

“Do you feel strange?” Atem asked heartlessly, knowing exactly what this sensation was. Kaiba would often neglect him below while teasing him above...until he begged for it.

Set shook his head tightly, turning his head to stare at the door before aiming his gaze back to Atem’s face, seeing the king grin impishly at him and drag a hand up past his balls to give his front a quick jerk, sending a violent shock of heated pleasure running through his core.

Tense with a mixture of fear and curiosity, Set dimly wondered why he had never felt this sensation with women before.

Atem pried Set’s thighs apart and leaned forward between them, dipping his head down to bite, lick, and suck teasingly on one of Set’s nipples, enjoying the way his priest was squirming beneath him, his long legs curling over his calves and repeatedly sliding up and down over them in an attempt to grind his dick upwards into his stomach.

Snickering, Atem reached down to palm Set’s balls warmly, giving them a firm knead before slipping a finger down to slide sensually over his hole, feeling the oil gather beneath the pads of his fingertips, and he felt Set buck his hip upwards, causing the tip of his penis to rub lewdly along the center of his chest.

Set’s musk was very different from Kaiba’s, and Atem was enjoying the difference immensely, listening to Set’s soft, hiccupping pants beneath him as opposed to Kaiba’s even, heavy, excited breathing.

“I want hear you say you want it,” Atem said wickedly, lifting his head up from Set’s nipple to give it another teasing lick, and Set convulsed stiffly underneath him again. So…sensitive! Was this why Kaiba enjoyed teasing so much? These reactions were so delicious and they made Atem feel powerful.

“I don’t know what I want,” Set answered weakly, knowing this was the biggest lie he had ever told in his life. Was Atem out of his mind?! He was going to do this blatantly while Seto Kaiba was laying right there?!

 “Then we will continue like this,” Atem smirked and dove his head back down, alternating between Set’s left and right nipples while he slowly slipped one finger into Set’s hole, and began thrusting it gently, sometimes pulling out completely to massage Set’s balls before shoving his finger right back into Set’s heat, until Set was twisting and gasping incoherently beneath him.

“Two?” Atem asked plainly, before giving Set’s already-red nipple a firm bite, and he pressed his middle finger into Set’s hole with ease while using his thumb to gently massage the base of Set’s balls, the way Kaiba often did for him, enjoying the way the delicious softness was sucking him in, and he ached to feel that sensation around his own cock.

Set squirmed, his body uncomfortably hot.

Sweat was gathering along his back and was causing his skin to stick to the sheets, and he could feel different heated jolts of fire every time he attempted to twist away. Atem’s fingers were relentless inside him, and every time they left his body, it made him feel strangely empty inside. He wanted release, but Atem seemed to know this, and always kept him at the edge, almost cruelly.

“…No…” Set gasped, wrapping his legs around the backs of Atem’s thighs to bring the fingers deeper inside him, but Atem withdrew his hand completely and hovered triumphantly above him, his tanned cheeks flushed visibly.

“You can’t take it anymore, can you?” Atem coaxed cleverly, lifting Set’s legs up higher, gazing down at the pink hole that was clenching and unclenching eagerly.

“No…” Set breathed, giving in and throwing a hand over his forehead with shame, his chest heaving mightily as a thick, delicious heat pressed enticingly against his hole and stretched him wonderfully.

 Atem smiled devilishly in triumph and eased himself into Set with passionate vigor, gripping Set’s hips and giving him several, deep, vicious thrusts, feeling the bed rock slightly with every forward motion, and Set felt his own body respond against his will, arching his back and inching his hips downward onto Atem’s length, enjoying the way Atem’s thighs were flush against the back of his legs.

It was an amazing feeling indeed! And Set curled his fingers into the sheets, bunching them underneath his damp palms as Atem slid thickly into him once more, right up the hilt.

His arm was pried away from his forehead by a warm hand, and their eyes met.

Atem gazed down at him, his spiky blonde bangs framing his lovely face, his brow furrowed with concentration and concern, his lips moving, “Is it painful?”

Set shook his head tightly and shut his eyes, enjoying every new sensation that crashed over his body every time Atem bit his collarbone, kissed his cheek, grabbed his hair or pressed a hand tightly down against the center of his stomach with every heated thrust.

This made him hate Seto Kaiba more, knowing that that man received pleasure like this from Atem nightly, because Atem was attentive and honest in his actions, and this sin was…wonderful…heavenly.

Sinning like this felt like nothing that Set had ever experienced before, and he wanted it to last forever…all night. Was that possible?

Beside him on the bed, Kaiba felt the bed dip down violently, and he kept his eyes tightly shut, cursing Mokuba in his mind. Could his brother stop jumping up and down on the bed?!

He pried his eyes open tiredly and found himself staring at the ornate handle of an unfamiliar nightstand, with the sounds of heavy panting coming from behind him while the bed continued to rock and dip down rhythmically.

His stomach clenched and curled into a solid pit of anger and jealousy, but he stayed still, wondering if he could decipher what was happening behind him without looking.

“You can’t cum yet,” Atem insisted, reaching down to grab the base of Set’s dick and giving it a tight squeeze, earning a frantic gasp and a shake of his head.

 _I see_ , Kaiba thought darkly, shifting and sighing audibly, still pretending to be asleep and wondering if they would notice.

They did. There was a silent pause behind him.

Set’s heart threatened to explode out of his chest as he frantically eyed the back of Kaiba’s hair, noticing that the CEO now had an elbow tucked under his head.

That man was awake! He was most certain of it! That despicable…he was probably listening to them fuck, and he enjoying it! This was all part of a ploy, and he had foolishly fallen for Atem’s charms!

Atem waited several heartbeats before looking away from Kaiba’s sleeping form and continued to shove himself into Set, pleased with the way Set was clenching tightly around him and earning several more audible gasps. Atem grit his teeth, feeling his thighs ache with effort, and he paused mid-thrust when he noticed a change in Kaiba’s breathing.

Kaiba…was awake. How long had he been awake?! Had he been listening this whole time?

Set clenched and unclenched heatedly around Atem’s dick and hissed at the Pharaoh, “Please…continue!”

Kaiba strained to understand Atem when he replied, and he felt the bed dip and shift again, Set’s panting was very audible, and Kaiba crossed his ankles tightly, hating his boner. He wanted to hear more of Set’s suffering, but it sounded like his imposter was enjoying himself.

“Seto…” Atem called out to him and Kaiba remained still, realizing he might’ve been caught. He was facing the other way! How the fuck would Atem know if he was awake?

“…Please, Atem…please,” Set’s trembling voice sounded scared and pitiful.

What the fuck was going on?

“Owner, I know you are awake,” Atem hissed, gripping Set’s thighs so tightly the skin whitened, and he finally saw Kaiba react to this and sit up slowly.

 _O-Owner?!_ Set thought, paling and he grew cold all over, watching his body-double turn to face them with anger clouded across his handsome features.

Kaiba blinked, lightheaded and dizzy at the sight before him.

Atem was directly behind Set, gripping his tanned legs and holding them up high, exposing his wet hole, and a pitifully leaking erection that was going limp.

“I got you a gift,” Atem said, hoping his voice didn’t shake and he leaned down to give Set’s shoulder a firm bite, hearing Set’s frightened shout echo around in the room.

“See?” Atem encouraged, releasing one of Set’s legs and reaching down the front of his stomach to give his waning erection a few energetic strokes, and it sprang back to life again, quivering enticingly at Kaiba.

Atem inched his hands lower past Set’s balls and splayed his fingers out over Set’s hole, stretching his cheeks apart and hearing Set let out another cry while shaking his head.

“I know you like a virgin hole,” Atem coaxed knowingly, and Kaiba ran his tongue along the underside of his teeth, his dick itching and throbbing as his resolve slipped.  
Perfect. This was actually…perfect.

“Wh-What are you saying to him?” Set cried, craning his head to look at Atem over his shoulder, doing his best to look anywhere but directly in front of him, where Kaiba was advancing on all fours, giving off an aura of a feral fox.

“I told him you’d be good,” Atem replied carelessly, his expression lighting up when he saw Kaiba’s expression turn dark and gleeful, his blue eyes fixated on Set’s nipples which had been tortured deep red.

Kaiba lifted the hem of his own robes and threateningly flashed Set his erection, inching closer towards him and jutting himself right up against Set’s hole, tapping the head of his penis against the back of Set’s thigh.

“I’m cumming inside of you,” Kaiba said devilishly, slowly rolling his own foreskin over the tip of his dick, enjoying the warm threads of pleasure snaking their way up and down his legs.

“I hate you,” Set spat venomously, and Atem’s arm wrapped tightly around his neck, nearly choking the air out of him, causing his vision to turn green.

“Be…nice,” Atem growled, and Kaiba took this chance to press the head of his dick into Set’s hole, feeling himself being sucked in quickly and too easily.  
Lies.  
Atem had had his turn here, but this was fine, because Set’s hole was wonderfully hot and tight.

Kaiba let out a low laugh and began pounding relentlessly into Set, watching the man throw his head back against Atem’s chest, his cries muffled by a firm kiss from Atem above him, and Kaiba let the image of Atem kissing Set burn into his vision with every thrust.

Nice, very nice. This was better than mirror sex, because he could directly experience this version of himself, being dominated while still enjoying Atem’s tenderness.

Kaiba slowed his pace as he felt an orgasm building too soon, but he felt Set’s legs clamp down tightly around his waist, forcefully pulling him in closer. Furious, Kaiba realized Set was using him purely as a floating dick for his own pleasure while his mouth was connected to Atem, and since his legs were longer than Atem’s, holding him tightly in place was doable.

After a few more vicious thrusts, Kaiba grabbed the base of Set’s dick and squeezed, denying Set an orgasm while he came spitefully in his ass, and relished in the way Set spasmed and jerked beneath him.

Atem felt Set bite down on his lower lip, and he pulled away for air, glancing up at Kaiba, who was extracting himself from Set with a satisfied smirk.

“Done,” Kaiba said coldly, reaching forward to grab Atem by the arm and pulling him away from Set’s limp form. “Come here.”

Atem let himself be dragged across the bed and watched with wide eyes as Kaiba straddled him tightly and threw Set a condescending look, speaking quickly in English.

“You clearly haven’t learned anything. You’re wondering what I can do for him?”

And Kaiba spied the bottle of body oil lying beside Set’s ankle, and he snatched it up, trickling a generous amount onto his slender fingers and reaching down between his ass cheeks to give his hole a rub and a light stretch with one finger.

Good, he was still soft back there from their earlier lovemaking.

Set blinked rapidly and looked away, his eyes burning with unshed tears of frustration and jealousy.  
  
Seto Kaiba had denied him an orgasm and now wanted to show off again?!  
  
No.  
  
He was not going to watch this man dirty Atem in front of him again, even though it was arousing to watch….

“I’m ordering you to look here, Set,” Atem’s commanding voice shocked him back to reality, and Set jerked his head up to meet Atem’s unblinking gaze against his own will. Damn…damn it all. He would always obey Atem no matter what….

Set could feel his stomach sinking terribly as he watched with increasing amazement at the way Kaiba spread himself with practiced ease and brazenly rammed his unprepared hole downwards onto Atem’s dick.

There were simultaneous cries of ecstasy ringing in his ears, and Set felt his stomach twist strangely again, watching Atem throw his head back with a blissful expression painted across his delicate features as Kaiba had one hand down on the Pharaoh’s abdomen to keep himself steady, while the other hand held up the hem of his robes, giving him a full view of what was happening below.

Incredulous and growing aroused once more, Set watched Kaiba let the hem of his robes down and grab Atem’s dick through the cloth, giving him a few torturous strokes as Atem’s knees trembled and jerked with pleasure.

“Look, he doesn’t want it right away,” Kaiba said breathlessly, feeling a heightened sense of control at the way Set was watching them enviously. “You gave it to him right away…he gets bored.”

Atem turned his head to the side to gaze at Set, dimly aware of Set’s envy through his haze of intense pleasure. “Cum…I want to c—”

“Shut up, not yet,” Kaiba replied, ramming himself down against Atem’s length again and shivering happily at the fresh wave of heat reverberating from the base of his cock. He grabbed Atem’s hand and placed two fingers into his mouth, giving the knuckles a firm bite, enjoying the way Atem wiggled and pressed his fingers down on this tongue demandingly.

Set’s felt his own fingers twitch and he daringly inched them down between his legs, brushing his fingertips over the wet tip of his dick, aching to touch himself.

Atem saw this movement and snapped out of his pleasurable stupor to glare and snap at Set, “Don’t touch yourself. Watch.”

Caught off guard, Kaiba also glanced over at Set, and Atem took this chance to throw his legs up around Kaiba’s waist to tackle him onto his side, pounding heavily into him and enjoying the way Set’s shocked gasps and Kaiba’s excited ones mingled in the air.

His mouth dry and his eyes watering, Set watched Atem reach down to wrap his fingers around the base of Kaiba’s dick in the same way that had been done to him earlier, denying him an orgasm while relentlessly fucking him without mercy, his hands on the backs of Kaiba’s slender, pale thighs, keeping them raised and high over his head.

A-Amazing….

Atem was right. He could not have imagined this….

“F-Fuck!” Kaiba gasped, growing cold all over as Atem torturously brought him down from the brink of an orgasm and pulled out slowly, wearing a mischievous smile.

“I’m not fucking around, let me cum,” Kaiba hissed, sitting up weakly and watching Atem reach for Set, and his vision swam with bright dots. He wasn’t even sure if feeling jealous was productive anymore…he just wanted to cum, badly.

“Come, Set,” Atem said warmly, grabbing his priest gently by the hand and pulling him closer. “He’s ready now, go on and put it inside him as much as you want.”

Dizzy with a mixture of arousal and revenge, Set clambered eagerly toward Kaiba’s open legs and grabbed them with force, digging his nails into his pale skin purposefully, seeing the man throw him a lustful glare and say clumsily in Arabic, “Fool. The more it hurts, the better it feels.”

“Good!” Set declared loftily, wasting no time, and inching the head of his dick closer toward Kaiba’s hole, and to his displeasure, Kaiba did not look away with shame and instead held his gaze challengingly.

He hesitated for a moment, and he felt Atem’s warm, encouraging hand on his lower back, so he thrust himself forward vigorously, pleased to hear Kaiba let out a half-laugh beneath him that made his chest tighten.  
  
This man…showed genuine emotion a lot more this way, and it was unsettling him.

Unable to keep his thoughts coherent, Set lost himself in Kaiba’s warmth, enjoying how his hole was tight, and hot, letting his elbows buckle weakly, his chin almost hitting Kaiba’s cheek.

To his horror, a pale hand came up to grab the side of his head, pulling him down into a fiery kiss with clashing teeth and tongue, sending wild jolts of pleasure and warmth down his entire body.

Set’s mind was buzzing with a mixture of amusement and uncertainty. Suddenly, the warm hand that had been resting on his lower back traveled lower, and a familiar heat crept up along his crack. Two hands planted firmly on his ass cheeks began to spread him.

Set froze and jerked his head up away from the kiss, whipping his head around to gaze anxiously behind him at Atem, who had positioned himself powerfully behind him, his teeth glinting as he smiled widely in the semi-darkness

A strong hand snaked through the back of his hair and yanked his head downward, and Set found himself nose-to-nose with Kaiba. “Look here, and don’t fucking stop.”

“I…” Set bit his tongue painfully as he felt Atem enter him from behind and rock him forward strongly, so strongly his dick slid deeper into Kaiba’s ass, and Kaiba shivered happily, cursing fluently.

“Good, Seto?” Atem asked quietly, his voice almost drowned out by Set’s incessant shivering and desperate cries for help.

“…Ph-Pharaoh…” Set struggled to speak, and was silenced once more by Kaiba’s lips on his. Long arms came up around his shoulders and pulled him downward with such force, his elbows buckled and he became a limp, ragdoll at the mercy of Atem’s relentless pace and Kaiba’s teasing pinches at his nipples which were still sore and throbbing.

Kaiba let his breath out in a slow hiss and enjoyed the way Set’s dick entered him heavily, and he locked his ankles around the backs of Set’s legs, his toes brushing against Atem’s thighs. “Stay, don’t move…”

Set’s dick was quite nice. It wasn’t quite as girthy as Atem’s but it was longer, and it could hit places higher up inside him.

“I can’t anymore…I can’t!” Set insisted, trembling and spasming against his will as Atem continued to slide thickly into him so much that the rim of his anus was beginning to burn and chafe, and he was ignored by both Kaiba and Atem.

Every time Atem rocked his hips forward, Set would be entered deeply, and Kaiba would respond by bucking upwards, taking his dick deeper into his ass, clamping around him tightly, wrenching a violent orgasm from him, causing his head to spin and his body to burn.

Feeling drained and helpless, Set cried out every time Atem slid into him and he gave Kaiba’s nipple a spiteful bite, watching the CEO throw his head back let out a guttural growl that turned into a laugh as Atem took this as a sign to continue with even more vigor, pounding relentlessly into Set, while Kaiba enjoyed the alternating pace of Set’s pitiful squirming every time Atem gave them a particularity hard thrust.

Set couldn't breathe or keep his eyes open anymore. This was either the worst torture, or the highest heaven.

He was growing numb.

Kaiba underneath him had already cum a while ago, because his chest and stomach was slippery and sticky with dried semen, so it seemed that it was clearly _Atem_ who set this relentless, merciless pace.

 _I’m…going to die like this,_ Set thought weakly just as Atem dug his hands into the side of his hips and released inside his ass. Hot semen trailed down the backs of his thighs and underneath his balls.

Shivering involuntarily from residual threads of pleasure, Set heard Kaiba let out a satisfied sigh beneath him, and say something in Japanese. He was given a shove, and Atem’s heated arms wrapped around his chest, pulling him up off of Kaiba and easing him down onto the bed.

Atem collapsed between Kaiba and Set, his heart thundering in his ears, with both Kaiba and Set’s breathless pants alternating on either side of him.

Kaiba shut his eyes and let out a huff of air, smirking to himself as he rolled over to palm Atem’s face gently, pulling him into a soft kiss, and heard Set shift on the other side of the bed.

Set clenched and unclenched his fists, waiting for Atem to stop kissing Kaiba so he could have his turn.

Atem pulled away and gazed deeply into Kaiba’s eyes which were red at the corners from exhaustion.

“How was that?”

“Fuck,” Kaiba groaned, palming his face and shutting his eyes, willing his heart rate to calm down. “Don’t wake me up until next week.”

Atem let out a laugh and Set made a noise of discontent before the Pharaoh finally turned to smile warmly at him, asking him the same, but in Arabic.

“How was it, Set?”

Set blinked, feeling lightheaded and dizzy all over again.

How was it? Atem was casually asking about it as if they just had a meal?

It had been exhausting! Confusing! His thighs and arms hurt, along with his lower back and hole…!

“I…” Set began, and Atem’s hand landed gently on his cheek, pulling him in close for a kiss, and Set kept his eyes wide open, staring at Atem’s dark eyelashes, inches from his nose.

“Rest, and we’ll help you bathe in a few moments,” Atem said warmly, leaning back into the pillows contentedly and smiling at his priest who was still wearing a shell-shocked expression.

“W-We?” Set asked gruffly, and his throat burned strangely. How had he lost his voice when Kaiba was the only one who had been laughing and shouting?

Atem nodded and closed his eyes, patting the pillow beside him.

Disgruntled and confused, Set chose to lay his head down on Atem’s shoulder instead, and glanced across Atem’s bare chest at the other side of the bed where Seto Kaiba was once again napping peacefully.  
  
What a strange scene.  
  
He had never imagined it to be this way, but this was actually quite nice.

Sleep came quickly, and Set found that he could barely keep his eyes open.

The way Atem’s fingers were stroking his hair across his brow was strangely hypnotizing and very pleasing.

* * *

**Author’s note:**  
  
Pls leave review with gusto, home stretch.

Fanart by the lovely [HANIMKT](http://hanimkt.tumblr.com/post/177647694058/i-kind-of-forget-about-this-but-i-quickly-doodled)

  
  
**Seto Kaiba x Priest Set = stoicshipping**  
  
**Pharaoh Atem x Preist Set x Seto kaiba = stoneshipping**  
  
AND HOLYFUCKINSTHI ONE MORE CHAPTER AFTER THIS

Edited by: setokaibaes / [marshmallons on AO3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marshmallons/pseuds/marshmallons)

Hugs,  
  
Ugli

**_[[pls tip if u wet ](https://www.paypal.me/hellopiko)(water droplet emoji) | [tumblr ](http://uglifish.tumblr.com/)] _ **

 


	37. joy

Atem felt an odd numbness traveling up from his thighs and he sat up groggily, his head swimming with a mixture of hunger and confusion.

Set lay beside him, his long, tanned legs draped over Kaiba’s single, pale leg, which had somehow found its way underneath his own legs.

No wonder he had woken up. He had been sleeping in a stifling human sandwich.

Atem carefully extracted himself and crawled off the bed, noticing that the sun was creeping steadily over the horizon just outside his window, and he hurried into the bathroom to clean up.

He knew he was going to be questioned about his absence at dinner last night.

Stepping into the shower, Atem hastily bathed, wondering how he could maintain this wonderful bed-dynamic with both Kaiba and Set at his side.

It might be difficult, given how Set had hissed “I hate you,” at Kaiba before being entered.

Sighing, Atem grabbed a towel from the rack and draped it over his body, realizing he had nothing clean to wear.  
Wonderful.

* * *

Kaiba shifted in his sleep, enjoying the way Atem had snuggled into his chest, and he dug his chin downwards into his soft spiky hair, smiling.

The hair…was soft, but it wasn’t spiky.

Jerking back and prying his eyes open, Kaiba realized he had his arms and legs wrapped around…Set.

Hissing in annoyance, he gave the man a rough shove and rolled away, sitting up and surveying the empty room, taking in the stack of fresh towels sitting on the lavish end table and his clothes folded neatly right beside them.

On the bed, Set’s even breathing filled the quiet room.

Bright sunlight was filtering in through the window, and Kaiba winced, feeling a slight headache coming on.

He glanced down at Set, still peacefully asleep, expecting to feel disgust and resentment, but instead, there was nothing other than a bubble of warmth in his chest.

Set was not unattractive…for a man that looked exactly like himself.  
  
There were no differences in their appearance that he could yet discern, which further confirmed his suspicions about Atem’s behavior when he had first entered the mansion.

Of course Atem would act like a horny little slut the moment they met. There had been a weaker version of himself living here with him this whole time!

The only other difference Kaiba had noticed was that Set’s hair was slightly longer in the back. Because of the way it splayed out across the pillows, it almost looked like a woman’s hair, but it was still the same shade of brown.

There was no fucking way he’d ever let his own hair grow that long in the back.

Kaiba sniffed arrogantly to himself and gingerly stepped into the bathroom to clean up, his asshole still mildly numb from the vigorous fucking.

Atem had probably started the day without him—another aspect he hated about living in the palace.

He was usually the first one out of bed…and waking up with Atem nowhere to be seen was an unwelcome change.

* * *

Set curled his knees to his chest, wondering why the bed had suddenly gotten so cold.

He rolled over and an odd, musky scent invaded his nostrils. Set took several light breaths, willing himself to stay asleep, but his mind was trying to work out where he had smelled this scent before….

Seto Kaiba!

Bolting upright, Set shivered as a thin strip of pain reverberated up from his asshole, and the events from last night came back in a horrifying rush.

Oh no…they had…he had…with Seto Kaiba…and Atem behind him…they had….

Set palmed his face and forced himself to take deep, even breaths.

He ached all over.

His body was exhausted and he had clearly slept the morning away, because the yellow afternoon sun was shining merrily through the tall windows.

He itched all over from the sweat and dried semen. The sheets he had been sleeping in were also a mess, with streaks of dried fluids here and there.

Hating himself, Set inched toward the edge of the bed, feeling his asshole sting and throb with every tiny movement.

Damn.  
Damn.  
Damn it all.  
  
He froze as he realized…he had lost his virginity as a man…and his cheeks burned with denial. But he was thankful that Atem was the first one to take it…and not Seto Kaiba.

That man was rough, evil, and somehow had a mildly likable personality during sex.

Hissing in pain, Set finally managed to swing his legs over the edge of the bed before he heard the bathroom door click open, and he froze.

H-He hadn’t known there was someone still in the room with him!

To his utter dread, Seto Kaiba strode out of the bathroom, completely naked, and Set averted his gaze instantly, his cheeks still burning with embarrassment.

 _Oh, he’s awake,_ Kaiba thought plainly, recognizing the flushed, humiliated expression Set was wearing, and he decided it was best to ignore him.

He reached for his clothes and watched Set’s slow movements in the mirror out of the corner of his eye. He noticed the way Set’s legs were trembling and shaking with every attempt to ease off the bed, and he waited until the priest attempted to stand.

Set cursed angrily as his body betrayed him, his legs weakening as his ass throbbed with pain, and he saw Kaiba turn to face him with an unreadable expression.

“Shut up!” Set growled, hating the fact that he was naked and sitting helplessly on the floor.

Kaiba approached Set carefully, smiling in amusement as he held out a hand.

Set glared and turned his cheek, attempting to keep his pride.  
No.  
He would not.

“It was rough…for your first time, I know,” Kaiba said blandly, bending down to gather Set’s long limbs in his arms and straightened up with a huge effort.

Set was fucking heavy, but if he knew anything about how he had felt after being fucked by Atem, he was pretty sure Set wouldn’t be able to walk for another day.

“Put…me down.” Set struggled weakly, and felt Kaiba’s arms tighten underneath his knees.

“Don’t fucking squirm or I’ll drop you,” Kaiba replied anxiously.  
He wasn’t saying that to be mean.  
He really meant it.  
  
His body wasn’t doing so well either, but at least his asshole was more accustomed to the feeling.

Kaiba lowered Set into the empty bath and moved to run the water, his mind churning with a scheme to win Set over. He had already completed a plan in his mind, but he needed Set to agree with him and help him carry it out.

Set watched bleakly as the water rose steadily, first puddling at his ankles before swallowing his knees, and then his waist. The second the hot water touched his hole, he hissed, and Kaiba gave him the first sympathetic look he had ever seen.

“Don’t move,” Kaiba said dryly, adjusting the water temperature. He decided to also sit in the bath. It would do his aching thighs some good.

“It will stop hurting by tomorrow or the day after,” Kaiba assured him, and he received an incredulous look mixed with despair. Cute. Set was very expressive too, much like Atem.

“It doesn’t hurt for you?” Set exclaimed, and he reminded himself to quiet down as he heard his own voice echo loudly off the surrounding walls.

“Not as much.” Kaiba grinned, and Set was fully taken aback again.

Seto Kaiba…was smiling at him. This man had incredibly white teeth and his entire face changed when he smiled. He looked…handsome, friendly even.

Was Kaiba always this cheerful after a round of rough sex? That didn’t seem right, because Kaiba had always treated him with hostility since their first meeting.

“What’s gotten into you?” Set asked gruffly, choosing to glance down into the water and growing embarrassed all over again when he realized he had a visible erection underneath the crystal-clear bathwater.

“Nothing?” Kaiba replied blithely, sinking into the hot water and sighing contentedly. He needed this more badly than he had originally thought.

“You are…unusually happy,” Set said suspiciously, inching lower into the water, letting his shoulders soak fully, silently grateful that Kaiba had anticipated his needs so well.

“Well, aren’t you?” Kaiba retorted, throwing Set an apprehensive look. “We just woke up from a night of wonderful…well, I guess you didn’t get what you wanted.”

“What?” Set asked in a rush, feeling his cheeks heat up all over again, but this time, with rage. “Stop assuming what I want.”

“You wanted your turn with him, didn’t you?” Kaiba asked knowingly, nodding and smiling again, pleased to see his plan was working. He watched Set blush a deep shade of crimson and look away pointedly.

Jackpot.

“If you want that…” Kaiba continued, “I will gladly share him with you.”

He wouldn’t say no to a night of watching Set fuck Atem as opposed to watching porn when he was too tired to have sex at the end of a long day.

Set struggled to breathe, wondering if the water was too hot, or if his ears were playing tricks on him.

What? Share…Atem?!

At this rate, what it seemed like was that Kaiba and Atem were sharing…him!

 _I’m the toy! Not Atem,_ Set growled angrily to himself, and he kept his fists tightly clenched beside his thighs.

Kaiba spotted this underneath the water immediately, but he decided to ignore it.

“The next time we see him, I can push him down for you,” Kaiba coaxed cleverly, knowing that that was exactly what Set wanted. “Do you want that?”

“No,” Set answered coldly, folding his arms across his chest, as if he was trying to hide the rapid pounding of his heart.

“Lie to me all you want,” Kaiba said lightly, giving the water a splash and hearing it echo pleasantly around them. “But I will tell you my vision. Do you want to hear it?”

Set remained stubbornly silent, and Kaiba let the silence grow.  
Fine, he would just keep talking.  
Set would come around eventually.

“Some nights, you will sleep with him in a bed…alone,” Kaiba said, knowing that it would never happen. “Other nights, he sleeps with me. He chooses…clearly. We have no power over who he chooses.”

Set ground his teeth and after a long moment, nodded silently in agreement. Atem was the one who chose who to kiss first, and it was always Kaiba.  
He would always be second.  
But sleeping in a bed with him alone…sounded nice.  
  
Kaiba was allowing this? What was this…a sort of strange arrangement?

“You will always have nights of intense pleasure,” Kaiba said loftily, examining his wet nail beds. “…similar to how we were yesterday.”

There was more silence, and Kaiba sighed.

“Doesn’t that sound good to you?” he implored, gazing at his tanned lookalike sitting stiffly at the other side of the large tub. “You can’t tell me that after experiencing Atem, you can go to a woman and feel the same way?”

Set waited two heartbeats before shaking his head quickly, feeling his long hair drag wetly through the water.

Fine. Seto Kaiba was right. That kind of pleasure was hard to come by. No woman had ever made him feel the way Atem had last night…and Kaiba’s mouth on him…was even more indescribable…

Set repressed a shiver and glanced down at himself in the bath again, annoyed to see that his erection still hadn’t gone down.

“See? You want more!” Kaiba encouraged gleefully, and he watched Set cover his modesty with both hands so fast, water splashed over the shallow stone edge.

“You also won’t have any responsibilities to worry about,” Kaiba said quietly, treading carefully as he reached the main point of his plan.

“You can live like a king, have your own wing, including your own set of maids and servants. They will bring you food when you’re hungry and you’ll never have to leave the bed with Atem…”

“...or me,” Kaiba added as an afterthought, gazing up at the high ceiling of the bath, feeling awfully homesick. “I wouldn’t mind having you in my bed, Set.”

Set blinked rapidly, realizing his ears and eyes were indeed playing tricks on him.

A very handsome man was spouting lies while sitting naked across from him in a comforting bath.

Lies….

“All you have to do…is get him on a plane with me,” Kaiba said darkly, lowering his voice. “We can do that, can’t we? Give me your word.”

Set swallowed tightly and his throat burned with an odd dryness.

“Give me your word that we will board a plane together,” Kaiba repeated, louder this time. “All three of us. I will give you whatever you could possibly want when we arrive in Japan.”

Speechless, Set wiggled his fingers in the water that was now lukewarm.

Enticing.

Everything that was now coming out of this man’s mouth was wonderful and enticing. It was too good to be true…but was it?

“Still quiet?” Kaiba asked incredulously, growing impatient now.

The water was getting cold.

“I’ll let you enter him first, as a sign of good faith before we leave,” Kaiba bargained, watching Set’s expression remain wide-eyed and slightly stricken.

“Tonight?” Kaiba pressed, growing desperate now. “Or would you rather we pin him down the next time he walks by?”

Losing his patience, Kaiba pulled out the last card he had to play.

“You know, there’s no fucking point in staying here, you fool,” he snapped, thinking that if Set wasn’t reacting to his generosity, then hostility and threats always worked. “You know your kingdom is bankrupt. Atem is literally begging me for help. So call us a plane, or you’ll find my dick in your ass again tonight.”

Set finally managed to compose himself and he smiled weakly at Kaiba.

“Good idea…” he said, his eyes watering slightly at the corners.

“What?” Kaiba narrowed his eyes, unsure which part Set thought was a good idea. Him inside his ass tonight? Or calling a plane?

“There is a flaw in your plan,” Set whispered, wondering why he was suddenly afraid they would be overheard. “How do we get him on the plane?”

“How else?” Kaiba growled in response, deeply pleased to see that he had swayed Set. “You say, ‘Hey, Pharaoh, get your ass on this plane. We are going back to Japan.’”

Set let out a full laugh for the first time in what seemed like ages, and he found that he couldn’t stop laughing.

“What?” Kaiba asked irritably, and Set composed himself quickly, his shoulders still shaking with mirth.

“How do we get him out past the front gates?” Set cried, gripping his sides tightly as he felt another roll of laughter coming up. “Past all the guards? Past Shadi, and the others? And through the city, unnoticed? And not to mention, we must do this all under cover. The Rebels are still a mild threat!”

Kaiba shifted uncomfortably in the water, that had now gone cold, and he frowned. Oh shit. He hadn’t thought of that.

“Well, that’s what you’re good for,” Kaiba shot back, trying not to feel a slight twinge of despair. “You can arrange all of that, and make sure we don’t get shot at while boarding. You did it before. Do it again.”

“I cannot!” Set gasped, realizing Kaiba had very little understanding of how their court hierarchy worked. “I would be breaking so many rules! Shadi is—"

“Then stay here,” Kaiba snapped, deciding to get out of the cold water. “Live stupidly in this cage while I get to have Atem all to myself.”

“Now wait just a minute,” Set retaliated with equal ferocity, also rising to his feet, a bit unsteadily, quite thankful that his asshole was no longer chafing. “I agree to your terms.”

The door to the bathroom swung open and Atem strode in, wearing all of his usual finery, and Kaiba almost slipped mid-step on his way to the towel rack.

“You’re getting along!” Atem beamed brightly, glancing between Set standing waist deep in bathwater, and Kaiba, who had hastily wrapped a towel around his waist where an obvious bulge was showing through the white cloth.

“We are only doing so…out of our love for you,” Set said earnestly, and Kaiba rolled his eyes so hard, it hurt.

“I need you at the meeting table with me,” Atem said immediately, nodding at Kaiba and reaching a hand out to him.

Set watched with raging jealousy as Kaiba gently took Atem’s hand in his and pressed the tanned, ring-adorned knuckles to his lips in a gentle kiss.

Now he wanted to roll his eyes, but he couldn't tear his gaze away. Watching Atem interact with Kaiba was always fascinating.

“Come, get dressed,” Atem said warmly, giving Set a smile over his shoulder before exiting the bathroom.

Kaiba waited until the door clicked shut before he turned to Set, his blue eyes oddly bright. “When do we reconvene? Get me that laptop so I can call a plane.”

 “…When my ass stops hurting,” he hissed, and he watched Kaiba throw his head back and laugh as he exited the bathroom.

 _I’m being serious_ , Set thought irritably to himself, clenching and unclenching his jaw, unable to believe what he was about to do.

He climbed nimbly out of the bath and grabbed a fresh towel from the rack, carefully drying himself off, realizing that the ache was still there, it had only dulled down a bit.

Kaiba entered the bathroom again and held out a half-empty jar of serum. “Here, for your ass.”

Set stared at the familiar jar for a moment before snatching it out of Kaiba’s hands, blushing furiously.

His coming-of-age gift to Atem was now being used as ass ointment.

“It’ll still burn,” Kaiba said, trying to sound reassuring. “But it works for pain and you’ll be numb to it after a while.”

“Perfect,” Set hissed, gripping the jar tightly and waiting for Kaiba to leave the room.

Kaiba just stood there expectantly as if waiting for him to shamelessly apply the ointment in front of him.

“Go on,” Kaiba urged, taking great pleasure in Set’s shame. It was so fucking cute. It reminded him of when Atem had been this shy.

“Get…out,” Set managed, gripping the towel that was steadily slipping off of his waist, and Kaiba reached forward to snatch the towel away, grinning impishly.

“I saw Atem and it made me horny,” Kaiba said selfishly, pointing at his own boner through his towel. “Put it on in front of me.”

“No!” Set balked, lowering his arms to shamefully hide his full erection, and Kaiba advanced on him quickly.

“Hey,” Kaiba reached out to run a hand down Set’s arm, giving it an excited squeeze. “How can we share the Pharaoh, or even a bed, when you can’t even do this in front of me? I retract my offer.”

“You wouldn’t,” Set managed through gritted teeth, and the jar of serum was snatched out of his hands, and he watched with increasing trepidation as Kaiba knelt before him and stared blatantly at his erection.  
  
The tip of Kaiba’s nose was almost touching…the tip of his dick.

Reddening again with embarrassment, Set looked away, hearing Kaiba unscrew the jar with a soft clink.

He risked a gaze downwards and saw the tip of his penis dangerously close to Kaiba’s ear, so he playfully bucked his hips forward, deeply amused when his dick lifted a section of Kaiba’s hair away from his ear.

Kaiba smirked and turned his head, taking Set into his mouth with ease and hearing the man gasp above him.

Set’s legs wobbled unsteadily as Kaiba gave him a powerful suck.

Feeling Set wavering dangerously, Kaiba nodded at the wall beside the door and gave him a nudge. “Lean against there…you can’t stand.”

His head spinning, Set found himself obeying, and he backed into the wall, and Kaiba followed him on his knees, his eyes never leaving his erection for a second, and it made Set hot all over.

He had never thought that Atem may have learned his attentiveness from this man.

Perhaps it was making love with Seto Kaiba that made everything surreal and amazing. He was a rich man…handsome and smart, with many resources….

Set was jolted out of his thoughts the moment a searing, hot wetness engulfed his core, and he doubled over, leaning forward, his hands landing on top of Kaiba’s hair.

Lost in the new sensations, and unsure of what to do with his hands, Set gently stroked Kaiba’s hair every time the CEO surged forward to take him in his mouth, alternating between sliding his tongue sensually up and down across his slit, and shoving his head down completely until his dick hit the back of his throat.

 _Tastes like…flowers_ , Kaiba thought sourly, pulling away slightly to glance up at Set. “What the fuck kind of soap is in the water? Whatever it is…stop using—”

The door to the bathroom swung open suddenly and Atem stood before them again, wearing an expression of impatience that quickly morphed into rage when he witnessed the scene before him.

Kaiba blinked and tried to keep his face neutral as Set’s hand tightened so much in his hair, it made his eyes water.

“Ph-Pharaoh…” Set gasped, attempting to shove Kaiba’s head away from his crotch, but Kaiba had frozen solidly in place, undoubtedly knowing that they were in trouble.

“I asked…to see you at the meeting table,” Atem fumed, tucking his tongue in his cheek and biting down on it to keep from shouting.  
  
Another arousing sight. Set was visibly weak in the knees and trembling, while his dick twitched pitifully under Kaiba’s wet chin.

Kaiba was a sexual deviant of the highest degree.  
  
The moment he had turned his back, he was having his way with Set!

“I…will…punish you both…later.” Atem struggled to put his feelings into words. “Kaiba, get dressed. People are wondering where you are. I won’t ask you again.”

Kaiba blinked rapidly and raked his gaze down Atem’s front, pleased to see a large bulge visible underneath his robes. Even through two layers of cloth, it was visible. Nice.

“Ask me again,” Kaiba challenged, feeling Set tense excitedly and shiver.

“Kaiba…” Atem ground his teeth and took a threatening step into the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a resounding click.

Set loosened his grip in Kaiba’s hair and watched Atem’s demeanor change with terrifying speed.

The Pharaoh swept his cloak up around his shoulders to keep it from touching the wet floor of the bathroom and teasingly lifted the hem of his robe, flashing a smooth, tanned thigh.

“You want to taste me that badly?” Atem asked quietly, and Kaiba nodded, his blue eyes soft at the corners, his mouth curled upwards in a mischievous smirk.

“Maybe I’m not interested in yours,” Kaiba shot back playfully and turned his attention to Set. “Keep going.”

Set blinked incredulously and barely had time to compose himself before Kaiba’s mouth was around his cock once more, and he heard Atem hiss and reach down to also grab the top of Kaiba’s hair, his rings gleaming in the bright sunlight streaming in from the sunroof above them.

“Your mouth is so fucking dirty, you can suck mine too,” Atem said nastily, lifting the hem of his robes to expose himself, and Set gasped as Kaiba gave him another powerful suck along with a teasing swirl of his tongue down his slit, sending a wonderful jolt of pleasure running up and down his spine.

Would it be this exciting and pleasurable every time? It seemed so.  
  
Kaiba felt Atem poking him insistently in the cheek with his dick, and he smirked to himself, leaning off of Set’s cock as Atem shoved his dick forcefully into his mouth, thrusting violently, sticking it firmly in to the hilt before pulling out again vigorously, his pubic hair tickling Kaiba’s nose teasingly.

Set’s knees were steadily weakening as Kaiba’s wrapped around his dick, giving it several teasing strokes while he continued to suck Atem.

“My mouth…is empty…” Atem panted, and he fixated on Set’s lips. “Come here…Set…”

Dizzy with arousal and joy, Set leaned to the side to give Atem a deep, tender kiss, relishing in the way Atem’s tongue roamed boldly into his mouth and sucked lightly on the tip of his tongue before pulling away to slowly to gaze at his face.

A wonderful, tight sensation was building deep in his stomach, and Set did his best to hold it off, but he saw Atem’s expression change from concentration to absolute bliss; that, combined with Kaiba’s alternating hand and mouth on his dick, before he surged forward once more to capture the Pharaoh’s lips in his own, and came in a tremendous heave, shivering and shuddering happily.

Kaiba was having the time of his life.

Atem’s insistent thrusts into his mouth meant that he didn’t have to work for it, and could spare a hand to touch himself.

Set was bucking his hips into his hand shamelessly, like a man possessed, and the scent of their unique musks combined was quite lovely.

Set’s overpowering floral scent blended nicely with Atem’s light, musky flavor, and the taste of Atem’s cum in his mouth was enough to make Kaiba orgasm powerfully into his own hand.

Atem smirked happily as he watched cum gather at the rim of Kaiba’s lips, and he gave the CEO a few more strong thrusts, feeling himself spasm and weaken at the sensitivity of his own dick as he accidentally scraped himself along the tops of Kaiba’s teeth when he pulled out.

“Good,” Atem managed weakly, pleased to see no mess. He let the front of his robes down and smoothed them out with practiced ease, glancing between Set’s flushed expression and Kaiba’s cum-stained face.

“Get dressed.”

Kaiba licked his lips slowly as he watched the corner of Atem’s cloak vanish past the doorway, and he dragged his fingers delicately across his cheek, wishing Set had cum in his mouth instead of his hair.

“Next time…not my hair,” Kaiba said plainly, reaching underneath Set to give his ass a playful grope, earning an undignified yelp that echoed around the bathroom.

“H-Here…” Set said shakily, grabbing the towel that had been around his waist and handing it to Kaiba, watching the man dab, wipe, and pat the semen off his face with alarming ease.

This…sort of thing happened…often?!

Satisfied, Kaiba tossed the dirty towel aside and reached for the neglected jar of ointment that had been sitting on the tiled floor beside Set’s feet.

“Right, and this,” Kaiba said, dipping his fingers into the jar and reaching underneath Set again, swiping the liquid quickly up and down Set’s ass crack, and Set’s tanned hand came down to grab his wrist, pushing him away.

“You are so… _indecent_!” Set hissed, his legs once again burning with a strange fire, and he could feel his dick throb oddly once more. Oh...no, no, he knew this feeling. Was it still…?

And Kaiba let out a shout of laughter as he watched Set’s dick slowly stand at attention again.

What were these men made of? Set was related to Atem, right?

Maybe it was something in their blood.  
  
“Shut up and get dressed, you heard the man,” Set said coldly, and Kaiba ignored him, still chuckling to himself as he bent over the sink to wash his face and wet his hair.

Kaiba straightened up and patted another clean towel to his face, feeling wholly satisfied. The sex between the three of them was great! There was no reason to leave Set behind now.

“Right, get the laptop,” Kaiba said, smiling brightly and striding out of the bathroom.

He paused at the doorway before turning to give Set another smirk. “How about a kiss before I go?”

“Go!” Set cried, reaching for the door and swinging it shut in Kaiba’s face, the echoing bang ringing in his ears along with Kaiba’s laughter on the other side of the door.

* * *

Set strode nervously through the palace, searching for the laptop, and doing his best to act normal when he knew that in fact everything had changed.

He had now formed an alliance with everyone’s number one enemy, Seto Kaiba, and was even planning on whisking the Pharaoh away on one of Kaiba’s planes.  
  
They were also planning on doing it as soon as tonight.

Because according to Kaiba, the sooner they left, the better, and Set was beginning to agree more and more as the day went on.

He was being given strange looks by Mana and Rishid every time he passed them casually in the main courtroom.

Before long, Set found himself cornered by Shadi near the meeting rooms, who shoved the laptop into his chest, hissing angrily, “Do your job properly, Priest. I found this lying around in the shisha room. The Pharaoh has had another meeting with dignitaries, and you should do your duty.”

“Right…” Set mumbled, bowing stiffly and feeling a twinge of annoyance towards Shadi. It was true. The sooner they left, the better.  
Seto Kaiba had better show his face quickly to call that plane.

As if on cue, the door to the meeting rooms opened, and several men and women in finely dressed robes filed out neatly and quietly.

Set bowed respectfully and watched many pairs of shoes pass by until a familiar pair of tasseled ones appeared in his vision, and he straightened up in time to meet Atem’s angular gaze.

Thoroughly embarrassed by his lack of tact, Set averted his gaze respectfully and struggled to find his words.

“You don’t need to treat me like that anymore, Set,” Atem said lightly, wishing Set would look him in the eye more often. His blue eyes were captivating.

“Shut up, yes he does,” Kaiba interrupted playfully, his mood lifting instantly the moment he saw the corner of a laptop peeking out from Set’s arms. “Thank fuck.”

“Yes, be careful with it,” Set said nervously, feeling oddly naked passing Kaiba the laptop so blatantly in front of the Pharaoh, since they were using this as an instrument in their scheme.

“I’m calling Mokuba,” Kaiba said, thinking that this was a half-truth, and he walked away quickly, praying that Set would keep Atem busy long enough for him to charter a plane to their location.

“I didn’t understand,” Set said plainly, playing dumb, but he had heard the word “Mokuba” and appreciated this lie.

“He’s calling his brother,” Atem said warmly, gesturing for Set to follow him into the garden. “You two communicate well in English. Care for a walk? You’ve got a lot to tell me!”

“I do!” Set replied ecstatically, his heart leaping at the invitation for a walk.  
  
Finally. This was his rightful place.  
  
He could understand Kaiba’s vision fully now. This relationship could definitely work, and there was still time to comfortably spend with Atem.  
  
It was perfect. Divine.

Set walked two paces behind Atem as per his usual, and was pleased to hear Atem hiss in annoyance and gesture for him to walk faster.

“How is your body?” Atem asked, feeling guilty. He remembered when he had entered Kaiba for the first time, and Kaiba was unable to walk or stand for a day.

“He applied the ointment for me…while we were in the bathroom. That is how I am able to walk…for now,” Set mumbled, his ears burning at the memory, and he snuck a glance at Atem, wondering if he would be angry, but to his surprise, Atem looked happy.

“He is good at that, and enjoys doing it,” Atem said, his heart swelling at the memory of Kaiba dutifully bandaging his arm every other night and applying the smelly ointment.

Set kept his eyes lowered on the garden path, treading on several loose flower petals, enjoying this familiarity, pleased that it had also changed for the better.

Atem was speaking more freely and casually with him.

“And you are able to walk…for now?” Atem echoed, sounding distressed. “Let’s go to the medic. You will need something stronger, for later. We were so rough.”

“No, it’s quite fine!” Set insisted, but Atem had already made a turn back towards the palace.

He followed the Pharaoh silently and prayed that Kaiba would hurry.

* * *

Kaiba eased the laptop shut and folded his arms tensely. With some luck and effort, this would work.

He had tripled and quadrupled his security requests, and chartered two planes instead of one.

It was always better to do things in excess…just in case.  
  
Besides, a nearly bankrupt kingdom wouldn’t be able to stop him unless they could raise a small army of men, the way he had just done with his own security staff. Set would be fucking proud of him when he found out.

He had spared no expense, even ordering cars to the front gates of the palace, demanding that Isono fake plates and flags on a car if needed.  
  
He was getting the fuck out of here, with Atem and Set in tow, so he did need a small army to escort them out of Egypt.

Wiping the tablet again, Kaiba set it aside and heard a knock at the door.  
  
Strange. Atem never knocked.

If it was that tattoo-faced man or the turban-wearing man, he was up for a good fist fight.

Kaiba carefully inched the door back, seeing a familiar face, and was relieved to discover it was Set. He swung the door back and let the man in, wondering why he was acting more squirrely than usual.

“Where is he?” Kaiba asked, craning his neck out to look past the sitting room, searching for Atem, before quietly closing the door.

“He had to tend to another matter, but he will return soon,” Set said nervously, opening his palm to show Kaiba what he had stolen from the medic’s cabinet. “Tincture, for deep sleep.”

“We’re not poisoning him,” Kaiba growled, snatching the tiny bottle from Set’s palm and resisting the urge to fling it across the room. “Do you have a heart?”

“Do I have a heart? Do you?” Set seethed, his temper rising quickly. “It’s for troubled sleepers. He won’t die from it. Besides, he won’t come willingly, so if you have another way of coaxing him onto the plane, let’s hear it.”

“How do you know he won’t come willingly?” Kaiba hissed, leading Set away from the door. “Let’s talk over here. I don’t want anyone listening at the keyhole like a rat.”

“No one does that anymore,” Set countered, and Kaiba scoffed.

“My little brother still does it, so I don’t put it past anyone else. Now, how do you know he won’t come willingly?”

“He said it himself!” Set cried, his composure slipping. “I asked and said, ‘my dear king, would you take me to Japan with you?’ and he said, ‘I can’t return to Japan, Set, you and I both know that!’”

There was a long silence before Kaiba said simply, “Oh...fuck.”

“Yeah, fuck,” Set repeated, now fully panicking. “He can’t leave, and doesn’t want to, because he has a kingdom to watch over.”

“There is no kingdom,” Kaiba argued sourly, folding his arms across his chest. “There’s no money, and you had a fake king for several years. Congrats.”

“There is _loyalty,_ especially to Atem,” Set shot back, wondering how they had gotten so grossly off topic. “How does this solve anything?”

“It doesn’t?” Kaiba raised his eyebrows, feeling as if he was talking to a wall. “Your people can worship Atem even if he’s not physically present. That’s how religion works.”

“What do you think we are here?” Set growled, holding his hand out for the tincture. “Give it back. Did you call the plane?”

“What’s in this thing?” Kaiba held the bottle up to the light and attempted to read the tiny Arabic text pasted along the back. “I need to know what’s in this before it goes into his body.”

“A bunch of herbs.” Set tapped his foot impatiently, fearing they would be discovered soon because Atem was coming back any moment now. “If you want the full list, I can translate it slowly for you word by fucking word. Give it here!”

“Fine,” Kaiba hissed, slapping the tiny bottle back into Set’s hand. “The plane will be here tonight, along with my security teams, plural. Don’t pack a bag, or else—”

The door handle turned and Kaiba leaned forward to kiss Set, just as Atem stepped into the room, looking worn out and tired.

“Again?” Atem said weakly, kicking the door shut behind him and sitting down on the edge of his bed. “You two have really had a change of heart.”

Set pulled away and pressed a knuckle to his throbbing lips, unable to tear his gaze from Kaiba’s stricken expression. Ah…the CEO was just as nervous. Good.

“Some tea, Pharaoh? Or wine?” Set asked Atem innocently, his eyes never leaving Kaiba’s dark blue ones, and Kaiba spoke up tensely, realizing he had forgotten to ask one crucial question about the tincture.

“Will the tea _or wine_ taste strange?” Kaiba said in English, glaring needles into Set, who retaliated with, “It’s tasteless…because you’re an idiot. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“Not a change of heart then,” Atem said tiredly, leaning back into the pillows. “Seto, my shoulders ache. Tea would be nice…Set, thank you.”

“Right away, your majesty,” Set said quietly, hurrying towards the door, and Kaiba repeated him mockingly, walking towards Atem. “Yes, right away, your majesty.”

Set threw Kaiba a sour look over his shoulder before closing the door, and Kaiba immediately regretted mocking Set, because Atem caught on.

“I thought you two made up.” Atem tilted his head at Kaiba, thinking he was acting unusually tense. “What is it?”

“I’m…” Kaiba made up a lie on the spot, “…training him.”

Atem let out an amused laugh. “What? Like a dog?”

“Maybe,” Kaiba answered cryptically, sitting down on the bed beside Atem, reaching out to hold his hand. “I want to see Mokuba. I’m never away this long.”

“Oh, I know,” Atem answered carefully, his heart racing. He wondered if he was doing something bad by keeping the CEO here instead of letting him return to Japan. “You want to go home?”

“Yes, but with you,” Kaiba said firmly, and he got the worst answer from Atem in response.  
  
“I can’t go back to Japan with you,” Atem said shakily, feeling himself sweat, and his heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand.  
  
“You’ve seen how it is here. I can’t leave.”

“Yes, you can,” Kaiba raged, his temper flaring instantly, realizing that Atem was not budging on this topic, and that both he and Set had failed.  
  
So he tried again.

“There’s nothing here for you. Bring Set. We’ll all go to Japan together.”  


“I cannot…Seto, I really can’t,” Atem said quietly, his eyes shining with wetness.

There was a long silence.  
  
“So, now what?” Kaiba continued heatedly, now wishing Set would hurry back with the drugged tea. “I was right from the beginning when I said you were using me as a stand-in for your spineless priest!”

Atem said nothing and gave him a look of deep sadness.

“I’ll return to Japan without you,” Kaiba said desperately, sinking back into his usual threats. “Forget about me, and just enjoy your life here with Set!”

The door swung open gently and Set walked in carrying a tray with two glasses of red wine and a cup of steaming tea.

“What are you two talking about?” Set asked suspiciously in English, having heard his name moments before he opened the door.

He picked up the steaming cup of tea and moved towards the bed, hesitating visibly mid-step.

“I’ve just asked him to come to Japan with us,” Kaiba seethed in English, addressing Set, and the priest paused, blinking rapidly.

“He refused. Proceed as followed.”

“Yes, we already spoke about that,” Set answered mildly as to not raise Atem’s suspicions. “He can understand some English you know…”

“Don’t care,” Kaiba replied viciously, and he felt a warm hand on his leg. He glanced toward Atem, whose brow was furrowed in concern.

“Seto…please don’t start a fight with him. I will come visit you.”

Kaiba let out a barking laugh that almost made Set spill the tea in his already shaking hands.

“You’ll come visit me?!” Kaiba cried, palming his face as his shoulders shook with derisive laughter. “Right! As if!”

“Don’t mind him,” Set shot Kaiba a glare as he handed Atem his steaming tea on a saucer. “He’s unhappy with my request.”

“What request?” Atem asked, accepting the tea from Set gratefully and crossing his legs tightly.

Set paused, curling his fingers into his palm as there was a tense silence.

“What?” Kaiba asked tersely, not having understood what Atem and Set had just said. Was Set double-crossing him right now?! Why wasn’t Atem drinking his goddamn tea?

“Nevermind,” Set said nervously, blushing and looking away. He walked quickly to grab the two glasses of wine and handed one to Kaiba, who snatched it from him so ferociously, a bit spilled onto the back of his hand.

Atem narrowed his eyes at the two men in front of him, trying to decipher what exactly had transpired between them since he had been absent.

Set had downed his glass of wine in two gulps.

That was unusual, considering how Set never drank, and strangely enough, Kaiba was gripping the stem of his wine glass, leaving it untouched.

“Drink it for the nerves,” Set said to Kaiba, and he threw Atem a nervous glance. “You always drink. I’ve watched you drink at dinners before, now drink!”

Kaiba gripped the glass so hard, his fingers burned, hissing distrustfully at Set, “How do I know you didn’t put something in my drink?”

“And why would I do that?!” Set cried, his head spinning at the sheer ridiculousness of their conversation, and one that they were having right in front of the king!  
  
_Wait…_ Set balked privately, feeling a wave of crushing despair threatening to consume him. Was this a good idea?  
  
Seto Kaiba was acting unstable now.  
He barely knew this man.  
They had met…a month ago, when he had first arrived at the palace.  
And here he was, acting foolishly out of pure faith!  
  
Kaiba was a known ruthless businessman, and they were now planning on kidnaping the Pharaoh! An act punishable by the most painful of deaths.

“Because you want him for yourself, after knowing he wants to stay here,” Kaiba said angrily, nodding.  
  
Right. He fucking knew it.  
Set was planning on double-crossing him in the most crucial moment.  
Nothing good ever came of sharing anything with anyone.  
It was everyone for himself, always.

They stared at each other for a long, tense moment, before Atem broke the silence by clinking his tea cup down onto his saucer and setting it aside.

“I see,” Atem said quietly in Arabic, trying not to let his disappointment show on his face. “It seems that the two of you getting along was only a show…”

He had been a fool to think that it was possible for Kaiba to accept someone else into his bed.

If he had learned anything from his month-long stay at his mansion, it was that Kaiba was a very possessive man.

“Untrue!” Set insisted, feeling himself shake as he gazed at the bottom of the empty tea cup. “He sounds like a madman, Pharaoh. Do you really trust this man?”

“That question again?” Atem said wearily, giving Set a sad, defeated look. “He is pure of heart and a man of his word. I trust Seto Kaiba with my life. He saved me in my worst times.”

“How?” Set bristled, unable to imagine how Kaiba would’ve managed to do that given his extremely selfish behavior.

“Just shut up,” Kaiba said, rolling his eyes and setting the glass of wine aside. He could feel a headache coming on.

He lay down at the foot of the bed and pressed a forefinger and thumb to his temple, which was beginning to throb.  
  
The plane landed in an hour.  
It didn’t matter if Set was going to double-cross him.  
He would get Atem on that plane himself, no matter what.

Set sat down at Atem’s feet and the bed dipped down underneath Kaiba’s back, and Kaiba hissed in annoyance.

“He says you are ‘pure of heart’ and ‘a man of your word’,” Set said shakily, feeling the alcohol take effect too quickly. He cursed himself for being weak. “How am I supposed to believe that?”

“It doesn’t matter, because I’m not going to convince you,” Kaiba replied blandly, thinking he would risk one sip of the wine to ease his headache.

“Then…” Set took a deep breath and threw caution to the wind, feeling Atem nudge his elbow with his feet.

“Set, do you want to do something nice for me?” Atem asked, interrupting their conversation because he was feeling oddly left out.

“In a moment,” Set answered stiffly, dismissing Atem and keeping his attention on Kaiba’s pale hands covering his face. “I know you have abundant wealth. I want your word that you will protect us.”

Atem withdrew his leg, feeling disgruntled, and watched the strange exchange unfolding between Set and Kaiba. It seemed the two men were making a deal of sorts.

Narrowing his eyes, Atem sharpened his senses. He knew both of these men very well.

Kaiba was acting…exasperated, because Set had asked for something, and now Set was bargaining.

“We already agreed to that you _fool,”_ Kaiba hissed, pressing his thumbs to his eyelids and seeing green spots. “Anything else?”  
  
“I want to…guarantee my safety, with Atem,” Set said wildly, grasping at straws. “We are going to your country. I know the power imbalance will be stronger there. Treat me as you treat him.”

Kaiba sat up slowly and gave Set a stiff nod. “Done. Are you satisfied now? You have my word.”

Set blinked slowly, taken aback by the sudden earnestness.  
  
Was that it? All he had to do was ask?

“Then…a premature, one-sided toast, to your bravery, for sneaking us out of your country,” Set said weakly, reaching for the glass of wine and handing it to Kaiba.

Atem’s eyelids were getting heavy as he watched Kaiba accept the glass of wine from Set and toss it back with ease.

Kaiba lowered the wine glass and let the alcohol burn his throat. He stared into Set’s innocent blue eyes that were wide with fear, and his chest curled with sympathy.

He turned his head to avoid letting the emotion show on his face.

Atem’s soft breathing filled the room, and both men glanced behind them to see the pharaoh sleeping peacefully, and they gave each other a meaningful look.

There was a long silence before Set opened his mouth to ask Kaiba when their plane would arrive. He received his answer when Kaiba’s phone buzzed loudly in his pocket.

Kaiba hastily slid it out and strode to the window, straining his neck, trying to spot headlights beyond the palace gates, and was met with nothing but darkness.  
  
He glanced down at the phone in his hand and read the single text from Isono:

 _“Pocket wifi unsteady, landed. Heard shots/being shot at. ETA 23:10”,_ and his stomach sank with nervous dread.

“What are you doing?” Set hissed, standing swiftly and hovering protectively beside Atem’s sleeping form, his panic rising. “What is happening?”

Kaiba turned to give Set a withering look. “I thought I asked you to take care of the rebels at the runway. You clearly didn’t.”

Set paled and his heart slowed to a fearful stop in his chest as he stammered in response, “I-I thought I told you, I’m not—”

“Never fucking mind,” Kaiba snapped, sticking his phone back in his pocket and walking over to the bed to gently scoop Atem up in his arms.  
He had already expected to take care of everything himself anyway.

Set blocked Kaiba’s path and held his arms out steadily. “I will carry him.”

“No you will not,” Kaiba growled, nodding his head at the door. “You will clear the way for us.”

Set blinked and lowered his arms, his mind oddly blank. “I don’t understand.”

Kaiba closed his eyes and sighed, counting his heartbeats and letting Atem’s weight sink reassuringly into his arms before speaking. “We can’t be seen. Walk in front of us, and make sure every hallway is clear.”

“Right,” Set replied, beginning to feel numb all over.

He made his way to the door and eased it open, glancing around the sitting area, and he stepped out, making a beeline for the other door at the far end of the room and peeking out into the main hallway.

Sure enough, two guards were stationed side-by-side at this doorway, and Set cleared his throat lightly.

The two men ignored him, and Set spoke up, willing his voice not to shake as he attempted to sound angry.

“What are you two still doing here? The Pharaoh dismissed you both because he asked for a clear hallway this evening.”

They both threw him an uncertain look over their shoulders before shuffling off quietly. Set watched them go, listening to the rapid pounding of his heart in his ears fill the silence around him.

He waited a few moments before dashing back to Atem’s room and easing the door open softly. “Come out. I dismissed the guards.”

Kaiba emerged from the doorway with Atem in his arms, looking alarmingly lifeless, and Set instinctively placed his index finger under the king’s nose, feeling a warm breath graze his knuckle.

“Hands off, he’s breathing,” Kaiba hissed, elbowing his way past Set.

Set withdrew his hand so quickly, he accidentlly smashed his elbow into the wall behind him, and stinging pain reverberated up and down his arm.

His eyes watering and his fingers tingling painfully, Set followed Kaiba through the sitting room and noticed the hem of Atem’s cloak almost grazing the floor, and he quickly picked it up, throwing it gently over Atem’s chest to tuck it into Kaiba’s arms properly.

Kaiba noticed Set’s hands shaking, and he decided to ignore it, letting the man walk in front of him and lead them down the deserted hallway.

Their soft footsteps seemed to echo too loudly off the walls, and it was making Kaiba sweat.

“Wait here,” Set whispered, motioning for Kaiba to stand with his back against the wall beside another hallway entrance. “I’ll be back.”

“Hurry,” Kaiba glared, and shifted Atem in his arms. The weight was growing, and even though Atem wasn’t that heavy, it was the concern for Isono that was causing his shoulders to ache.

Set hurried off and tried his best not to feel anxious as he strode down the hallway. This hallway was clear.

He snapped his fingers and heard the sound echo behind him, and he saw Kaiba’s shadow appear at the far end. Good.

  
Next was the main hall, the place with the most foot traffic in the entire palace. It was late, so everyone should be asleep.

Two guards flanked the hallway that led to the library, and two guards stood by the entrance to the throne room. This was going to be tricky.

Set took a step back, and his heel tread on a foot. Kaiba hissed angrily behind him.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kaiba whispered, shifting Atem in his arms again, and he saw the Pharaoh’s eyelids flutter. “He looks like he’s about to wake up!”

Gritting his teeth, Set willed himself not to curse at Kaiba behind him.

He gathered his courage and strode purposefully towards the guards at the library’s hallway and made solid eye contact, narrowing his eyes as he spoke. “Clear the area, Pharaoh’s orders.”

The guard on the left blinked and looked as if he was about to ask a question, and Set raised his voice, clenching his fists at his sides and feeling cold sweat down his back, “Now!”

The two men didn’t bother to bow as they marched off in unison down the hallway, and the guards at the throne room shifted audibly.

Set whirled around and addressed them loudly, “You heard me.”

Kaiba leaned his back against the cold wall, breathing evenly, his arms aching from keeping still. Thank god, Set seemed like he could throw his weight around when it mattered.

The two guards by the throne room hesitated, and one of them spoke up. “For how long?”

“Five minutes,” Set replied stiffly, hoping that five minutes was enough for them to walk through the throne room and out through the main gates. And there were more guards waiting there…!

Kaiba heard footsteps shuffling off in the opposite direction and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.  
  
The area was clear.

Set felt a small bubble of triumph swell inside his chest as he pulled open the door to the throne room. Propping it open with his foot, he snapped his fingers quickly behind his back, hearing the crisp sound echo around him.

Kaiba heard the signal and stepped out, before ducking back into the shadows again when he saw the figure of Mahad striding out from the opposite hallway where the two guards had just disappeared.

Set kept the door open and waited, glancing around the throne room, pleased to see that it was empty. Wondering what was taking Seto Kaiba so long to follow, he whirled around and found himself nose-to-nose with Mahad.

“Priest,” Mahad said darkly, looking concerned, and Set blinked rapidly, swallowing the startled gasp that had tried to claw its way out of his chest.

“Mahad,” Set answered, nodding politely and hoping Mahad wasn’t about to ask why he had dismissed all the guards from the main hallway.

“What are you doing dismissing all the guards from the main hallway?” Mahad asked worriedly, glancing around when he swore he heard a movement behind his back.

“Pharaoh’s…orders,” Set replied weakly, thankful that Seto Kaiba was keen enough to stay out of sight. Kaiba must have seen Mahad walking up behind him.

“Really? I didn’t hear him give the order,” Mahad said hollowly, glancing around again, feeling an odd presence in the neighboring hallway. “Is something happening? I feel…”

“Unwell, you feel unwell,” Set interrupted, nodding encouragingly. “There is a sickness going around. Atem is worried about our health.”

“Right…” Mahad said deeply, frowning as he recalled Mana saying something about a sickness blanketing the palace, yesterday, was it?

“You’d better rest up tonight,” Set said, trying not to let the relief leak into his voice as he noticed Mahad steadily agreeing with his lie. “I will take care of everything here. I’m nearly done.”

“Very well,” Mahad said simply, and Kaiba thunked his head back against the wall, weak in the knees, wondering what the hell Set was saying to the other man to get him to clear out.

Miraculously, Kaiba heard footsteps echoing through the hall, and he sighed in relief again, but the air caught tightly in his throat when he realized the footsteps were headed towards him.

“No! Not that way!” Set cried, his panic finally leaking into his voice, and Mahad froze mid-step, a few feet away from where Kaiba was standing just behind the wall.

“And why not?” Mahad asked testily, eyeing the sweat that shone across the priest’s brow. “Are you feeling unwell too? You look like you’re coming down with a fever. Perhaps you should rest, and I will dismiss the rest of the guards outside.”

“I am fine,” Set said firmly, regaining his composure once more, and he forced himself to smile gently. “You could help me dismiss everyone in the east wing. I haven’t gotten there yet.”

“East wing it is,” Mahad muttered, turning on his heel and marching down the opposite hallway.

Kaiba held his breath, listening to the footsteps fade away.

This was exactly how misinformation was spread -- under the guise of the king’s orders.

Kaiba grit his teeth and was overcome with a renewed sense of purpose and vigor. Getting Atem out of here was definitely a good idea.

Set watched Mahad’s shadow disappear down the long corridor and he curled his fingers into his palm, knocking against the door to signal Kaiba.

Kaiba heard several rapid knocks, and he cautiously edged out from the hallway before hurrying towards the open door where Set stood impatiently, and he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

Shit. Was that a good text or a bad text?

They hastened through the empty throne room and Kaiba did his best not to look back at the gleaming throne behind him.

They paused at the towering front doors, and Kaiba ducked behind a golden statue to remain out of sight, watching Set push the doors open with effort.

His phone kept buzzing in his pocket, and Kaiba realized he was getting a call. Finally, some reception, because they were on the ground, and near the entrance!

“…Hey, hey!” Kaiba called out to Set in a hoarse whisper, his voice almost drowned out by the sound of the stone doors scraping noisily across the paved ground. “Get my phone! Come back here!”

Set hastily left the door half-open and ran back towards the statue where Kaiba was hiding and began patting his body.

“Other pocket…front!” Kaiba said, not bothering to keep his voice down anymore, leaning his ass away from Set’s careless hands. 

Set finally managed to fish out the buzzing device and he fumbled, almost dropping it to the ground when Kaiba growled the password at him, and he typed it in with shaking hands.

Atem’s limp arm hovered in his view over the screen.

“Hold him,” Kaiba said coldly, his biceps aching.

Set gingerly stuck his hands underneath Atem’s body and lifted him out of Kaiba’s arms, thankful that he was the same height as the CEO.

Atem barely fluttered an eyelid, and Set held Atem close, letting his warmth seep into his chest, comforting him.  
This was fine.  
This wasn’t wrong.  
Sneaking Atem out of his own home… _their_ home… it wasn’t wrong at all….

Set heard a soft rustle behind him and jerked his head around nervously, knowing it was the guards at the front gates coming to receive them because the gates had been opened.

They needed to hide, now!

He edged carefully around Kaiba and ducked behind the statue, leaning his back against the wall and whispering to Kaiba, who had his nose buried in his phone, “Get back here! The guards will see us—”

It was too late.

They had already been seen, because Set could hear frantic shouts echoing through the front courtyard, and Seto Kaiba was just standing in the middle of the entrance like an idiot.

“Move out of their sight!” Set cried, gripping Atem’s legs tighter against his body as he felt them slip in his grasp. “You’ll be shot, you idiot!”

Kaiba stood his ground and gripped his phone tightly. The missed call and texts had asked for a diversion. It seemed that he would be that diversion.

In the distance, he could see several bright headlights, and he had never been so happy to see one of his own cars before in his life.

A swarm of palace guards had united at the front gate, bearing full arms in the dark, and Kaiba could hear bodies hitting the floor and cries of pain being quickly muffled.

A pair of guards had turned from the fight, fleeing towards the palace entrance, and Kaiba planted his feet apart, fists raised.

They had been disarmed, but were still carrying knives.

Bracing himself for a hard fight, Kaiba grit his teeth and heard Set cry out anxiously beside him, “Two against one, you’re unarmed! You’re mad!  Close the door! Close the door! I can’t help you!”

Kaiba eyed the stone doors, and then at the two men rushing him, their eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and fear, their hands on the knife on their belts.

No. Closing the heavy door on them would take too long.

Suddenly, two of his own bodyguards caught up to the palace guards from behind and tackled them to the ground.

Kaiba didn’t loosen his stance as he watched his men struggle with the guards for a moment before managing to press a black cloth over their faces, and their thrashing limbs became still and limp.

Set watched the scuffle with bated breath, his heart thudding too fast in his chest, unsure if he ought to feel relieved or threatened that Seto Kaiba had brought his own army to break them out of the palace.

The two guards lying limp on the ground he knew by name.

They were Jamaal and Usman!  
One had a wife, and the other had a brother who was also a palace guard. Was he dead too?

“Y-You’re killing them…” Set said numbly, feeling Atem’s unconscious body slip dangerously lower. Kaiba turned to him, lifting Atem from his arms and giving him a defiant glare.

“They’re not dead.”

“They…” Set couldn't find his breath to finish his sentence. He watched the burly men in suits drag each of the lifeless guards to line them up against the now-open door, leaning their backs against it while their heads lolled eerily sideways and downwards.

Two, four, six…. Set tried to count the men in suits, but more and more kept coming, some carrying the unconscious guards on their shoulders, and others dragging them inside by the arms when the door no longer held space for bodies, letting their heels leave incriminating, bloodied trail marks behind them on the shiny, throne room floor.

Their features were also terrifying. Short, dark hair, pale skin, and some with eyes as black and beady like as a snake’s.

Soon, rows of bloody and lifeless men had been laid out against the inside of the throne room wall, some on top of other’s legs when it became apparent that the patience of the bodyguards had run out.

Finally, several pairs of men in suits strode through the palace gates, carrying armloads of weapons.

Blinking in astonishment, Set watched Kaiba’s men lay the weapons down on the ground neatly and straighten up, bowing to the CEO, who was wearing an extremely triumphant smirk while holding Atem, whose flowing purple cloak had come untucked again, the hem sweeping beside Kaiba’s ankle.

“Follow,” Kaiba said carelessly, striding excitedly towards the headlights of his car, and in the distance, he could see Isono’s thin frame outlined in the semi-darkness.

Set wavered, his knees unusually weak, watching Kaiba’s men disperse and melt away into darkness, all walking in formation to the main gate.

Wait… wait, was this a good idea?

He was agreeing to…leave his own country, his own home, for Seto Kaiba?  
And why? Because Kaiba was carrying Atem?

“Do you want to be shot by the guards above?” Kaiba shouted behind him, no longer worried that he would wake Atem. He ducked down, gently setting Atem in the arms of a body guard who was already sitting inside the limousine.

Furious, Kaiba raised his head to glare at Set, who was clearly hesitating by the doorway of the palace.

He held up his palm, fingers spread, and he curled his thumb in, clearly holding up the number four.  
  
He put another finger down.  
  
Three.  
  
And another finger down.  
  
Two.  
  
Five fucking seconds to get in the car, or they were leaving without him.

Set saw Kaiba drop his pinky into a fist, and he sprinted across the courtyard towards the car, his throat burning with every breath he drew into his lungs, his thighs burning with every lunge he took, his entire body burning with denial at his own actions.

Kaiba noticed shouts and movements echoing from the highest windows in the palace while several lights flickered on, and he hastily got into the car, seeing Set make a dive at the door and throw himself in breathlessly beside him and slam the door.

“Drive!” Kaiba shouted, and the car lurched violently, peeling away from the palace gates in a plume of dust in the darkness, and Set’s grip on the car handle slipped because his palm was drenched in sweat.

He watched the familiar scenery flash by the window as they barreled through the city, and Set shut his eyes tightly before opening them again.

This might be the last time he would be here. These were his last moments in his country…fleeing palace guards that were undoubtedly reporting him missing along with Atem. By now, Mahad would have realized the magnitude of his betrayal.

The car made several more harrowing turns before it came to a nauseating stop right underneath the belly of a large aircraft.

Trembling and unable to contain himself, Set heard Kaiba give orders to his men in Japanese, and his door was opened for him by a burly bodyguard.

“Stay behind them, or get shot,” Kaiba said stiffly, giving Set a shove out of the limousine.

Set let out a startled yelp, feeling himself being yanked out forcefully by the arm and steered through a mass of men in the dark.

Somehow, his feet found stairs, and he was being marched upwards towards a warmly lit entryway, and he was given another rough push into the aircraft.

The roar of the engine was causing his ears to ring, and through the deafening noise, Kaiba was shouting more orders behind him when he thought he heard shots ring out.

Set glanced around, desperately looking for Atem, but he was still somehow surrounded by men, even while standing in the aircraft. He could see the long, arching ceiling lit by a row of blue lights, and the beige carpet beneath his feet, which had been dirtied by the various pairs of feet around him.

The floor jerked underneath him, and Set realized they were taking off now.

He craned his neck through the wall of men, managing to catch a glimpse of Kaiba’s light brown hair behind the neck of a man who was even taller than he was, and he wobbled unsteadily on his feet, feeling faint.

A hand shot out to keep him upright, and the man holding him said something in Japanese before he was led to a plush seat and lowered into it carefully.

Daring himself to breathe, Set watched the men disperse around them and he finally got a proper look at his surroundings, realizing with a jolt that Atem had been placed in the seat across from him with his spiky head lowered, still sound asleep.

They had made it! Had they made it?

Set sank weakly into the backrest of his plush chair, still shaking all over. The window outside was pitch black, aside from the occasional red flash of light, and the rumble of the engine was eerily quiet.

Kaiba strode through the plane, pleased to see his men settling in, and he allowed himself to feel relieved. 

Thank fuck.  
They were on their way safely back to Japan.

Set watched Kaiba take note of all his men in the cabin before moving towards him, looking visibly more relaxed as he sat down in the seat beside him, smiling slightly.

“We’re alive,” Kaiba said simply, crossing his legs deftly and leaning back into the chair to relax, watching Atem’s chest rise and fall steadily with each breath.

Set took a moment to compose himself before he spoke, still hearing his voice waver uncharacteristically as he addressed Kaiba, “You…are insane.”

“Thanks,” Kaiba replied, grinning, and Set shot him a weary look, eyeing the Pharaoh, who still looked regal as ever in all of his finery, even though he was asleep.

Taking deep, even breaths, Set continued to stare at Kaiba, noticing how one pant leg had a streak of dirt on it, and his head swam with gratitude. They had made it into the air alive…somehow. It was indeed miraculous!

“Where’s my thanks?” Kaiba demanded, sounding bossy as ever, and Set frowned, confused.

“…Thank…you,” Set said slowly, a curl of resentment rising steadily in his chest as he watched Kaiba throw his head back and laugh heartily.  
A madman’s laugh.  
He understood why Atem loved this man now.  
It was an extreme sort of love.  
Everything this man did was always to an extreme, but Seto Kaiba was indeed a man of his word, and Set felt his stomach flip strangely.  
  
Perhaps, he could come to love the extreme side of Seto Kaiba too.

Kaiba felt his eyes water with mirth as he reached for Set’s chin with one hand and pulled him close, kissing him deeply to celebrate their triumph. He enjoyed the way Set froze for a moment before responding with messy enthusiasm, his tongue prodding curiously at his bottom lip.

Atem heard Kaiba’s laugh ringing in his ears and he tried to open his eyes, but they were strangely heavy. He was still groggy from sleep but aware…that something was off.

He was no longer lying down, which meant he was no longer in bed.

He had been propped upright, and Atem struggled to stay conscious, hearing the low rumble of a plane’s engine in the distance.

He heard Set’s nervous laugh and Kaiba’s voice speaking softly in English.  
  
What was happening….  
  
Atem attempted to pry his eyelids open, to wiggle his fingers, to lift his head, anything…but his body remained limp and lifeless, and his blood ran cold when he realized he had been mildly drugged.

It couldn't be…could it?  
  
Resigning himself to being half-conscious, Atem drifted in and out of sleep, fully aware that Kaiba and Set had worked together to smuggle him out of the palace and onto a plane out of Egypt, undoubtedly heading for Japan.

* * *

**● ● ●** THE END **● ● ●**

* * *

 

 **Author's note:**  
  
WHEWWWWW IM TIRED!!!!!! thank you for reading!!!  
  
At: [ylje](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ylje/pseuds/ylje) and [setokaibaes,](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marshmallons/pseuds/marshmallons) thank you for editing!  
  
I think I’ll write a mini epilogue maaaybe if ya’ll lurkers leave a review hahaha

In the meantime, happy turkey day (americans)!

I will be taking a 2-week break to re-center myself.

Will be updating [OTOKONOKO](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15699276/chapters/36484707) soon! Please enjoy reading my other works too, and find me at all the other links below for yummy sneak peeks or smutty art!

Please consider leaving [a small tip!](https://www.paypal.me/hellopiko) I would appreciate it from the bottom of my heart!

think of it as....having purchased a novel? :O (this fic was as long as -and actually maybe a bit longer than- harry potter and the goblet of fire ;A;)

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Hugs,  
Ugli


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